Campfire Song Book

Old classic

CLEMENTINE

In a cavern, in a canyon, excavating for a mine,
Lived a miner, forty-niner, and his daughter Clementine.

CHORUS
Oh my darling, Oh my darling,
Oh my darling Clementine,
You are lost and gone forever,
dreadful sorry, Clementine.

Light she was, and like a fairy,
and her shoes were number nine,
Herring boxes without topses,
sandals were for Clementine.

Drove she ducklings to the water
every morning just at nine,
Hit her foot against a splinter,
fell into the foaming brine.

Ruby lips above the water,
blowing bubbles soft and fine,
Alas for me! I was no swimmer,
so I lost my Clementine.

In a churchyard near the canyon,
where the myrtle doth entwine,
There grow roses and other posies,
fertilized by Clementine.

Then the miner, forty-niner,
soon began to peak and pine,
Thought he oughter join his daughter,
now he's with his Clementine.

In my dreams she still doth haunt me,
robed in garments soaked in brine,
While in life I used to hug her,
now she's dead I draw the line.

How I missed her, how I missed her,
how I missed my Clementine,
Until I kissed her little sister,
and forgot my Clementine.

Now ye Scouts all heed the warning
to this tragic tale of mine,
Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation [Artificial Respiration]
would have saved my Clementine.

THE HAPPY WANDERER

I love to go a-wandering
Along the mountain track,
And as a go I love to sing,
My knapsack on my back.

CHORUS
Valderi, Valdera, Valderi,
Valdera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha,
Valderi, Valdera,
My Knapsack on my back.

I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun.
So joyously it calls to me:
Come join my happy song.

I wave my hat to all I meet
And they wave back to me,
And blackbirds call so loud and sweet,
From every greenwood tree.

High overhead the skylarks wing,
They never rest at home,
But just like me they love to sing,
As o'er the world we roam.

Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die.
And may I always laugh and sing,
Beneath God's clear blue sky.