​

​Campfire Songs...

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Yellow Ribbon

​Around her neck
She wore a yellow ribbon,
She wore it in the springtime
And in the month of May.
And if you asked her
Why the heck she wore it,
She'd say "It's for my lover
Who is far, far away".

Refrain:
Far away!
Far away!
She wore it for her lover far away.

Around her neck she wore a yellow ribbon.
She wore it for her lover who is far, far away.
Around the block she pushed a baby carriage. . . 
Around her thigh she wore a yellow garter. . .
Behind the door her daddy kept his shotgun. . .
And in the church the preacher kept a license. . .

  
Turkey in the Straw

As I was a-goin'
On down the road
With a tired team
And a heavy load
I cracked my whip
And the leader sprung
I says day-day
To the wagon tongue

Turkey in the straw
Turkey in the hay
Turkey in the straw
Turkey in the hay

Roll 'em up and twist 'em up
A high tuck a-haw
And hit 'em up a tune called
Turkey in the Straw
Went out to milk
And I didn't know how
I milked the goat
Instead of the cow
A monkey sittin'
On a pile of straw
A winkin' at
His mother-in-law

Turkey in the straw
Turkey in the hay
Turkey in the straw
Turkey in the hay

Roll 'em up and twist 'em up
A high tuck a-haw
And hit 'em up a tune called
Turkey in the Straw
I came to the river
And I couldn't get across
So I paid five dollars
For a big bay hoss
Well, he wouldn't go ahead
And he wouldn't stand still
So he went up and down
Like an old saw mill

Turkey in the straw
Turkey in the hay
Turkey in the straw
Turkey in the hay

Roll 'em up and twist 'em up
A high tuck a-haw
And hit 'em up a tune called
Turkey in the Straw
Did you ever go fishin'
On a warm summer day
When all the fish
Were swimmin' in the bay
With their hands in their pockets
And their pockets in their pants
Did you ever see a fishie
Do the Hootchy-Kootchy Dance?

Turkey in the straw
Turkey in the hay
Turkey in the straw
Turkey in the hay

Roll 'em up and twist 'em up
A high tuck a-haw
And hit 'em up a tune called
Turkey in the Straw

 

Crawdad Hole

You get a line and I'll get a pole, Honey,
You get a line and I'll get a pole, Babe.
You get a line and I'll get a pole,
We'll go fishin' in the crawdad hole,
Honey, Baby mine.

Sittin' on the bank 'til my feet get cold, Honey,
Sittin' on the bank 'til my feet get cold, Babe,
Sittin' on the bank 'til my feet get cold,
Lookin' down that crawdad hole,
Honey, Baby mine.

Yonder comes a man with a sack on his back, Honey,
Yonder comes a man with a sack on his back, Babe,
Yonder comes a man with a sack on his back,
Packin' all the crawdads he can pack,
Honey, Baby mine.

The man fell down and he broke that sack, Honey,
The man fell down and he broke that sack, Babe,
The man fell down and he broke that sack,
See those crawdads backing back,
Honey, Baby mine.

I heard the duck say to the drake, Honey,
I heard the duck say to the drake, Babe,
I heard the duck say to the drake,
There ain't no crawdads in this lake,
Honey, Baby mine.

 
Down By the Bay

Down by the bay
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home
I dare not go
For if I do
My mother will say
"Did you ever see a fly
Wearing a tie?"
Down by the bay.

Down by the bay
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home
I dare not go
For if I do
My mother will say
"Did you ever see a bear
Combing his hair?"
Down by the bay.

Down by the bay
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home
I dare not go
For if I do
My mother will say
"Did you ever see a moose
Kissing a goose?"
Down by the bay.

Down by the bay
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home
I dare not go
For if I do
My mother will say
"Did you ever see a whale
With a polka dot tail?"
Down by the bay.

Down by the bay
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home
I dare not go
For if I do
My mother will say
"Did you ever see a llama
Wearing pajamas?"
Down by the bay.

Down by the bay
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home
I dare not go
For if I do
My mother will say
"Did you ever have a time
When you couldn't make a rhyme?"
Down by the bay

 

Buffalo Gals

As I was walking down the street,
Down the street, down the street,
A handsome fellow I chanced to meet,
Oh, he was fair to see.

Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight,
Come out tonight, come out tonight.
Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon.

He stopped me and we had a talk,
Had a talk, had a talk,
His feet took up the whole sidewalk
And left no room for me.

Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight,
Come out tonight, come out tonight.
Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon.

He asked me if I’d have a dance,
Have a dance, have a dance,
He thought that he might have a chance
To shake a foot with me.

Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight,
Come out tonight, come out tonight.
Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon.

 
Ears Hang Low

Do your ears hang low?
Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot?
Can you tie them in a bow?
Do you throw them over your shoulders,
like a continental soldier?
Do your ears hang low?

Yes my ears hang low
When they wobble to and fro
I can tie them in a knot
I can tie them in a bow
I can throw them over my shoulders
like a continental soldier
My ears hang low

Yes my ears hang low
Yes my ears hang low

 
Cockles and Mussels

In Dublin's fair city
Where the girls are so pretty
'Twas there that I first met
Sweet Molly Malone
She wheeled her wheelbarrow,
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying, "Cockles and mussels,
Alive, alive-oh!"

Chorus:
Alive, alive-oh
Alive, alive-oh
Crying, "Cockles and mussels,
Alive, alive-oh!"

She was a fishmonger
But sure 'twas no wonder
For so were her father
And mother before
And they each wheeled their barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying, "Cockles and mussels,
Alive, alive-o"

(Chorus)

She died of a fever
And no one could save her
And that was the end of
Sweet Molly Malone
Now her ghost wheels her barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying, "Cockles and mussels,

Alive, alive-o"
Alive, alive-oh
Alive, alive-oh
Crying, "Cockles and mussels,
Alive, alive-oh!"

 
Git Along Home

You ought to see my Cindy, she lives away down South
She's so sweet the honey bees swarm around her mouth

(Chorus:)
Git along home, Cindy, Cindy
Git along home, Cindy, Cindy
Git along home, Cindy, Cindy
I'll marry you some day.

The first I seen my Cindy, she was standing by the door
Her shoes & stockings in her hand, her feet all over the floor

(Chorus)

She took me to her parlor, she cooled me with her fan
She said I was the prettiest thing in the shape of mortal man

(Chorus)

She kissed me and she hugged me, she called me sugar plum
She throwed her arms around me, I thought my time had come

(Chorus)

I wish I had a needle, as fine as I could sew
I'd sew the girls to my coattail & down the road I'd go

(Chorus)

I wish I was an apple, a-hangin' on a tree
And every time my Cindy passed, she'd take a bite of me

(Chorus)

Cindy in the springtime, Cindy in the fall
If I can't have my own Cindy, I'll have no girl at all

(Chorus)

 
I Love the Mountains

I love the mountains.
I love the rolling hills.
I love the flowers.
I love the daffodils.
I love the fireside.
When all the lights are low.

Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.
Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.
Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.
Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.

I love the flowers.
I love the daffodils.
I love the mountains.
I love the rolling hills.
I love the fireside.
When all the lights are low.

Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.
Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.
Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.
Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.

We walk together.
Hike by the quiet stream.
Watch for the sunrise.
Breathing the air so clean.
When we're together,
Sharing our fondest dreams.

Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.
Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.
Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.
Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.

Ride an Old Paint

I ride an old paint, I lead an old Dan
I'm goin' to Montana to throw the hoolihan
They feed in the coulees, they water in the draw
Their tails are all matted, their backs are all raw
Ride around little doggies, ride around them slow

For the fiery and snuffy are rarin' to go
I've worked in the town, I've worked on the farm
And all I got is this muscle right here in my arm
Got a blister on my foot and a callus in my hand
But I'll be a cowpuncher as long as I can

Chorus

Old Bill Jones had 2 daughters and a song
One went to Denver and the other went wrong
His wife, she died in a poolroom fight
And he still keeps a-singin' from morning to night

Chorus

Oh, when I die, take my saddle from the wall
Put it on my pony and lead him out the stall
Tie my bones to his back, turn our faces to the west
And we'll ride the prairies that we love the best

Chorus
 
Mamma don’t allow no music

Mamma don’t allow no music played around here.
Mamma don’t allow no music played around here.
Well, we don’t care what Mamma don’t allow,
Gonna play that music anyhow.
Mamma don’t allow no music played around here.

Fiddle…

Banjo…

Harmonica…

Bass…

Bones…

Jammin’

Old Joe Clark

Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark
Fare thee well, I say
Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark
I best be on my way

I went down to Old Joe's house, he invited me to supper
Stubbed my toe on the table leg and stuck my nose in the butter!

(Chorus)

Old Joe Clark, he had a house; fifteen stories high
Every story in that house was filled with chicken pie!

(Chorus)

Old Joe Clark had a yellow cat, she would neither sing nor play
Stuck her head in the buttermilk jar and washed her cares away

(Chorus)

Old Joe Clark, he had a mule; her name was Morgan Brown
Every tooth in that mule's head was sixteen inches 'round!

(Chorus)

[Warning! Grownups are sometimes grossed out by this next verse. Kids, however, rarely seem to be troubled by it.]

Don't ever marry Old Joe Clark, I'll tell you the reason why:
He blows his nose in old corn bread, and calls it pumpkin pie!

(Chorus)

 
Shenandoah

1. Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you
Away, you rollin' river
Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you
Away, we're bound away
'cross the wide Missouri

2. Oh, Shenandoah, I love your daughter...
(4th line: "Away, I'm bound away...")

3. Oh, Shenandoah, I'm bound to leave you...

4. Oh, Shenandoah, I'll not deceive you...

5. For seven years, I've been a rover...

6. But I'll return to be your lover...

7. Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you...

(4th line: "Away, I'm bound away...")

  
Spirit Song

You gotta sing when the spirit says sing.
You gotta sing when the spirit says sing.
When the spirit says sing,
You gotta sing right along.
You gotta sing when the spirit says sing.

You gotta hum…

You gotta play…​