Season 257 The Campfire Jam

Silver And Gold

I reckon that 'campfire songs' need to fulfil three criteria. They've got to have singalong choruses, and as it's going to be too dark to be peering at songsheets, they've got have simple chord progressions, with lyrics that you can more or less remember off by heart. With that in mind, here's my second entry:

Fisherman's Blues

And here's my 3rd

Twisting

My fourth

Oh Mary, don't you weep

my fifth

Cum on feel the noize

6 and out!

I have a horrible confession to make, Linda ... I have never, ever sat round a campfire! We don't have Summer Camp in the UK (or didn't when I was young), and my only experience with the Scouting Movement (which might have involved camping), was a brief one at the age of seven. I was persuaded to join the Brownies by being misguidedly informed that a penknife was part of the uniform ... it wasn't! And when I found out that, as a Brownie, I also had to suffer the indignity of dancing round a "toadstool", singing "We are the Fairies, bright and gay, helping others every day", I couldn't wait to leave! So, campfires for me mean cowboys and "Wagon Train" and hard bitten hombres sitting round eating their pork and beans, before getting out their bed rolls. And, in homage to your Home State, I bring you "Ragtime Cowboy Joe". (Played on my Gretsch Camp Ukulele ... what else!)

uke1950 said:

Looks like I'm going to bed early - I hardly know any of these 'camp fire' songs. :wallbash:

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But you can dance can't you? Mythinformed has brought some dance instructors and we are meeting in a clearing for a square dance at 2:00 so shine up those boots cause were gonna have a paaaaaaartaaaaaay!

A campfire song is any song you want to bring. Wow us Keith. We love your mad skills

Have you seen the queue for the campsite showers? Sheesh - I'm not going to waste my time queuing up to wash my hair. Simpler to have it all cut off.

Here's one everyone knows - A, D7, E7. Other twiddly bits optional.

Season 257. Submission 2 of 1,000 (Just kidding, Linda - my semester begins tomorrow. )

This is a cover of "Little Wing" (Written and recorded by Neil Young in 1979).

Linda, I first heard this song today. This is what would have happened if I were still working at camp. First I would have grabbed my uke and headed to the campfire being had by the youngest kids because that one would have ended sooner.
After we sang the faster and louder participatory songs, I'd have told them that I had a special song to sing them. Then I would have sung this song.... when they were sleepier. And then before leaving the fire, I'd have told them that if any of them found one of Little Wing's feathers tomorrow on the way to breakfast or lunch or swimming or arts and crafts that they should show it to me. That would mean that Little Wing wanted me to teach them the song the very next night.
(And, of course, I'd be looking at quite a few feathers the next day. And, of course, I'd return the next night to teach them this short, sweet song.)

Next I'd visit the older kids' campfire. Towards the end of their fire, I'd sing this song again. And tell them that if they want to learn it, I could teach it to them line by line. (I sing one - they sing it back. We'd do both verses that way).
And then I'd promise to show the kids with their ukes how to play the two chords in this song (Fmaj7, Cmaj7). And, of course, I'd show them that picking thing. But that would be during rest hour tomorrow or before dinner.

Linda, I hope you like it. And maybe... just maybe.... up at the cabin?.....some children may want to look for signs of Little Wing.

We were in Rome, eating dinner at a small hole in the wall restaurant, when the owner took an old classical guitar down off the wall and proceeded to play Country Roads up and down the isles, and had the WHOLE restaurant singing and playing along! I learned it as soon as we got home, and I always smile at the memories, and at the fact that it was in Rome where I fell in love with a John Denver song!

We are off to a fantastic day today! I woke up this morning and was greeted by the dance istructors for the square dance. It started off with a bang! She'll be coming round the mountain was the kick off song. Everyone went running to the field clearing as soon as they heard it!

Despite a little grumblings from someone that thought it was toooooo cooooooold we've all been whooping it up!........ I put him to work! You don't complain around me cuz Ill give you something to do! Leading the dance at 2:00 was going lightly on this fellow. Next time....Latrine duty!

I sent another off to teach the girls a song about a little bird. I sent one down to sing to those that are fishing. Sent one to sing to the worm guys. And sent another off to add to the dance band.

The dance was a muddy blast! If you missed it you missed out!. There is a sexy little lady walking around in a cowboy get up trying to act innocent but by the way she wears those wranglers jeans I can tell she's not!

Wait............................What?............................................Can you hear that? Country Roads!!! Gotta go!

uke1950 said:

Looks like I'm going to bed early - I hardly know any of these 'camp fire' songs. :wallbash:

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Think along the lines you just grab your uke from the corner and belt out some simple style busking songs with some mates

And here's one my family was singing to yesterday while painting a bedroom!

The story behind the song
Melody is from Gary Boldstad's song Indian Summer, an American singer, studying veterinary medicine in Berlin/1960s. He met Hannes Wader, starting his singer-songwriter career, and who took the melody for his song released in 1972. Since then, 40 years, it is the one'n-only-always-known-and-sung campfire song "Heute hier, morgen dort". In 1997 Bolstad re-translated the german lyrics, so here is "Day To Day" (naturally played on campfire...uueh..outdoor uke)

I was on a Tom Robinson Band jag yesterday, and I realized their first hit was a great campfire song, especially if you are around a campfire in the UK in the late 70s. Still really love those guys.

I found a Tambourine in Linda's backpack next to the trail mix, so I'm going to play one more before tonight's KP duty! Here's one that always gets the folks at my bluegrass jam session going!

Ok men. I just got word that Frisbee Fred is lost. I guess he went out hiking alone! What does he think? He's seventeen again! Seriously there always someone that breaks the rules of camping :/

I sure hope he finds his way back before dark or that someone drags his sorry butt back here before the whole camp has to go out searching!

I hope this original by me qualifies as a campfire song - firstly it's about a local mountain which would be lovely (and spooky) to camp in. Secondly, the last time I played it at (not a campfire, but dinner party...) everyone sang along to the chorus, which is what you want in a campfire song (or dinner party song?? )

Little song I learned in Boy Scouts...I'll just leave it right here.

Campfire song?