Scouting songs

Singing Girl Guides in Germany

Scouting songs have long played a major role in Scouting. Whether sung around campfires late at night, hiking through wooded trails, in the dining hall, or as a requirement to enter into a camp's program area, Scout songs are a way for Scouts to have fun and express themselves.

Songs

There are hundreds of Scouting songs. In the United States, for example, such commonly heard songs as The Mermaid Song, The Princess Pat, Can't Get To Heaven, or Boom Chicka Boom are ones that have been carried through the years and are heard during the summer at camps around the country. Each camp tends to have their own adopted version of a song, and often their own songs too.

Girl Scouting events in the U.S. will often have competitions to see which Troop knows more songs.

The Lyrics

Herman The Worm

Sittin’ on the fence post, chewin’ my bubble gum
[smack smack smack smack]
Playin’ with my yo yo- woo woo
When along came Herman the worm, and he was this big!
I said, “Herman, what happened?”
”I ate my mom.” [or, “I ate breakfast.”]

Sittin’ on the fence post, chewin’ my bubble gum
[smack smack smack smack]
Playin’ with my yo yo- woo woo
When along came Herman the worm, and he was this big!
I said, “Herman, what happened?”
“I ate my dad.” [or, “I ate lunch.”]

Sittin’ on the fence post, chewin’ my bubble gum
[smack smack smack smack]
Playin’ with my yo yo- woo woo
When along came Herman the worm, and he was this big!
I said, “Herman, what happened?”
“I ate my sister.” [or, “I ate dinner.”]

Sittin’ on the fence post, chewin’ my bubble gum
[smack smack smack smack]
Playin’ with my yo yo- woo woo
When along came Herman the worm, and he was this big!
I said, “Herman, what happened?”
“I ate my brother.” [or, “I ate dessert.”]

Sittin’ on the fence post, chewin’ my bubble gum
[smack smack smack smack]
Playin’ with my yo yo- woo woo
When along came Herman the worm, and he was this small!
I said, “Herman, what happened?”
“I burped.”

Swimming Hole

Swimming, swimming, in the swimming hole
When days are hot, when days are cold, in the swimming hole
Side stroke, breast stroke, fancy diving too
Don't you wish you never had anything else to do
[With each repeat of the song, eliminate parts until there is no more to say, and only the actions are left]

The Princess Pat

[A repeat-after-me-song]

The Princess Pat
Lived in a tree
She sailed across
The seven seas
She sailed across
The channel too
And brought with her
A Rick-a-bamboo

CHORUS:
A Rick-a-bamboo
Now, what is that?
It's something made
By the Princess Pat
It's red and gold
And purple too
That's why it's called
A Rick-a-bamboo

Now Captain Jack
Had a very fine crew
They sailed across
The channel too
But their ship sank
And yours will too
If you forget
A Rick-a-bamboo

CHORUS

Now Princess Pat
Saw Captain Jack
She reeled him in
She brought him back
She saved his life
And his crew's too
And she did it with
A Rick-a-bamboo

CHORUS

(see: Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)

Father Abraham

Father Abraham had seven sons
Seven sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them, and so are you,
So let's all praise the Lord!
With a left! [start swinging left arm.]
[With every repeat, add another motion. After left would come right, where you swing your right arm now too. Then left leg, right leg, and wiggle -where you then wiggle your entire body.]

Froggy

[Clap knees and then hands to get a beat. The beginning of every line is said on a "knee clap".]
This is a repeat after me song
Dog
Dog cat
Dog cat mouse
Froggy!
Itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny tiny little froggy
Jump, jump, jump little froggy
Gobble up all those little worms and spiders
Fleas and flies are scrump-tadidily-icious
Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit, ribbit, ribbit, ribbit, CROAK!!! Faster!!!
[With each repeat, the song is sung faster or slower.]

The Fast Food Song

A Pizza Hut, A Pizza Hut
Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut
A Pizza Hut, A Pizza Hut
Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut
McDonalds, McDonalds
Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut

A Burger King, a Burger King
A Burger King and a Dairy Queen
A Burger King, a Burger King
A Burger King and a Dairy Queen
Roy Rogers, Roy Rogers
A Burger King and a Dairy Queen

The Mermaid Song

Chorus:
Oh the ocean waves may roll, and the stormy winds may blow,
But we poor sailors go skipping to the top,
While the land-lubbers lie down below, below, below!
While the land lubbers lie down below!

Twas Friday morn, when we set sail,
And we weren't very far from the land (from the land!)
When our captain spied a lovely mermaid
With a comb and a brush in her hand (in her hand!)

Chorus

Then up spoke the captain of our gallant ship,
And a well-spoken captain were he (were he!)
"I had me a wife in London Fair
and tonight a widow she will be." (she will be!)

Chorus

Up spoke the figure head of our gallant ship,
And a well-carved figure head were she (were she!)
"I'd rather be the figure head of our gallant ship
Than a log at the bottom of the sea." (of the sea!)

Chorus

Then up spoke the cook of our gallant ship
And a red-hot cook were he (were he!)
"I care much more for me pots and me pans,
Then a I for the bottom of the sea." (of the sea!)

Chorus

Sad verse! [cry]
Three times around went our gallant ship
And three times around went she (went she...)
Three... times around... went our gallant ship...
And she sunk... to the bottom... of the sea... (OF THE SEA...!)

Chorus
[It is now sung slowly and sorrowfully, but only for the first line. Everything after "but we poor sailors" is sung extremely fast.]

Little Red Wagon

You can't ride in my little red wagon
Front wheel's broken and the axel's dragging
Chug! Chug! Chug-a-lug-a-lug OOO!
Chug! Chug! Chug-a-lug-a-lug OOO!
Second verse, same as the first,
A little bit louder and a whole lot worse!
[Each verse gets louder and louder]

Camp, Staff, and Order Songs

Oregon Trail Council - Camp Baker Staff

We are Camp Baker staff from Western Oregon.
We're glad you came to Baker, you'll have a lot of fun.
We'll teach you scouting skills, and sing a lot of songs.
Come on you scouts you've gotta sing along.
We like to sail boats, we like to cook!
We like to shoot guns, we like to look
at the tall spruce trees and the shore pines too.
Camp Baker staff is here to serve you.
Oregon Trail Council. CAMP STAFF!!!!

Minsi Trails Council - Minsi Alma Mater

By the shores of old Stillwater, with its azure blue.
Lies a camp of friendly Boy Scouts, cheerful, brave, and true.
Sing her glories, live her ideals hold her memories dear.
Give a cheer that all may hear it; Hail all hail Minsi.
Far away from care and turmoil of the busy town.
In a Brotherhood of Scouting; We will there be found.
Sing her glories, live her ideals, hold her memories dear.
Give a cheer that all may hear it; Hail all hail Minsi!

Great Valley Council - Camp Mosey Wood

Some call it fun and others call it madness.
So come along and join us and wipe away your sadness.
Happy campers are we, having fun 'neath the trees,
And when we are gone, we'll remember this song.
Oh camp, Camp Mosey Wood, camp, Camp Mosey Wood, camp, Camp Mosey Wood, camp, Camp Mosey Wood, CAM