This song's roots are in barbershop quartet tradition, where part of the repertoire includes a song known as "Tee Idle Dum Dum." Somewhere along the line the lead melody and the backing line evolved into the two parts I learned at camp - and to be honest, I think it's much improved.
The MIDI voices used for this are obviously not pronouncing the lyrics, but the melodies and words should be clear even if you've never heard this song before:
At my camp, whenever a meal was especially delicious, we would sing this song and the cook would come to the door from the kitchen to the mess hall and take a bow.
Another sea shanty, one that's been covered by folks from Burl Ives to the Kingston Trio and the Almanac Singers and so on.
No song has been more popular across the years for every kind of kid at summer camp than "Titanic." It's a a fun, lively song about a tragedy, so maybe that combination is a winner. In any event, I arranged this for a virtual marching band to emphasize the fun and lively aspect.
"The Lifeboat Crew" is a song for which I have found very little information, just a mention in a US Navy newsletter nearly 100 years ago. Please take a listen and let me know if you have ever heard it before:
I've put together instrument versions of a few camp songs, using them as the basis for videos with onscreen lyrics. You can sing along karaoke style - feel free to record yourself and upload the results on your favorite social media sites. Or maybe you just want to learn a new song or refresh your memories of a melody or lyric. Of course, my version may not be the same as yours, so please share any differences in the comments. I'm always interested in variations of these great singalong songs.
Here's the first one, a sweet song about romance on the water:
