Campfire Songbook is available as a download: PDF campfire songs (right click – save as)

1.  Campfire’s Burning

2.  Ging Gang Gooly

3.  The Duck

4.  You’ll Never Get To Heaven

5.  One Finger One Thumb

6.  One Man Went To Mow

7.  Coca Cola

8.  Quartermaster’s Stores

9.  Worms

10.  Head, Shoulders, Knees…

11.  Green Grow The Rushes O

12.  Kumbaya (Come be with me)

13.  Down at the Station

14.  Music Man

15.  Jethro

16.  The Woodpecker Song

17.  The Three Widows.

18.  The Three Cornered Hat.

19.  Punchinello.

20.  Ilkly Moor Ba Tat

21.  Crazy Moose

22.  Boom Chicka Boom

23.  Pizza Hut

24.  Singing in the Rain

25.  She sat on the veranda

26.  On Top of Spaghetti

27.  Oh a Lay a

28.  Hot Time in the Old Town€¦

29.  Animal Fair

30.  Alice the Camel

31.  The Pirate Song

32.  Yellow Bird

33.  Down to the Valley

34.  International Car Song

35.  Rule Britannia

36.  We Are the Red Men

37.  Land of the Silver Birch

38.  Fe Fi

39.  There Ain’t no Flies on Us

40.  Joe

41.  Dutch Footballers

42.  Boomalacka

43.  Old MacDonald’s Farm

44.  Taps

1.  Campfire’s Burning

Campfire’s burning, campfire’s burning,
Draw nearer, draw nearer,
In the gloaming, in the gloaming,
Come sing and be merry.
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2.  Ging Gang Gooly

Ging gang gooly gooly gooly gooly
Watcha, ging gang goo, ging gang goo.
Ging gang gooly gooly gooly gooly
Watcha, ging gang goo, ging gang, goo.
Haila! Oh Haila Shaila. Haila Shaila. Haila whooo.
Haila! Oh Haila Shaila. Haila Shaila.. Haila whooo.
Shallywally Shallywally Shallywally Shallywally.
Umpa Umpa Umpa Umpa………

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3.  The Duck

Oh be kind to your web-footed friend,
For a duck may be somebody’s brother
Who lives all alone in a swamp
Where the weather is always domp.
Now you may think that this is the end
Well – it is.

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4.  You’ll Never Get To Heaven

Oh you’ll never get to Heaven (repeat)
In a rocking chair (repeat)
‘Cos the Lord don’t like (repeat)
No rocking there. (repeat)
(Then sing through again)

chorus
I ain’t gonna grieve my Lord
I ain’t gonna grieve my Lord
I ain’t gonna grieve my Lord no more no more.
(Other verses are then made up by other people)
Examples:
On the 227, coz the 227
Don’t go to heaven
In a biscuit tin, coz a biscuit tin’s
Got biscuits in.
On roller skates, coz you’ll skate right past Those Pearly Gates.
In someone’s car, coz someone’s car Won’t get that far.

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5.  One Finger One Thumb

One finger, one thumb, one finger, one thumb, one arm, one arm, one leg, one leg
Stand up, sit down, turn around,
Keep moving.
We’ll all be merry and bright.

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6.  One Man Went To Mow

One man went to mow,
Went to mow a meadow.
One man and his dog
And a bottle of pop, and a sausage roll,
Old Mother Riley and her cow
Went to mow a meadow.
Two men went to mow,
Went to mow a meadow,
Two men, one man and his dog
And a bottle of pop, and a sausage roll,
Old Mother Riley and her cow
Went to mow a meadow.
Three men went to mow etc€¦

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7.  Coca Cola

Coca Cola, Coca Cola
Makes you burp, Makes you burp.
Have another bottle, have another bottle.
Burp Burp Burp, Burp Burp Burp.

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8.  Quartermaster’s Stores

There were rats, rats
As big as flipping cats
In the stores, in the stores.
There were rats, rats
As big as flipping cats
In the Quartermaster’s stores.
chorus
My eyes are dim, I cannot see.
I have not brought my specs with me.
I have not brought my specs with me.
(Other verses are made up now by others.)
Examples:
Peas with little knobbly knees.
Chips as big as battleships.
Cakes that give us tummy aches.

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9.  Worms

Nobody loves me, everybody hates me.
Think I’ll go and eat worms.
Long fat slimy ones,
Short thin skinny ones,
See how they wriggle and squirm.
Bite off their heads,
Suck out the juice,
Throw the skins away.
Nobody knows how I survive
On worms three times a day.
Three times a day.

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10.  Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

Head, shoulders, knees & toes,
Knees & toes.
Head, shoulders, knees & toes,
Knees & toes.
& Eyes & Ears & mouth & nose.
Head, shoulders, knees & toes, knees & toes.

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11.  Green Grow The Rushes O

I’ll sing you one O,
Green grow the rushes O.
What is your one O?
One is one & all alone & ever more shall be so.
I’ll sing you two O,
Green grow the rushes O.
What is your two O?
Two, two the same to you, how’s your father? Alright!
Three, three the rivals. Boom Boom Boom.
Four for the Gospel Makers.
Five for the symbols at your door.
Six for the six proud walkers.
Seven for the seven stars in the sky.
Eight for the April rainers.
Nine for the nine bright shiners.
Ten for the Ten Commandments.
Eleven for the eleven that went to Heaven.
Twelve for the twelve Apostles.

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12.  Kumbaya (Come be with me)

Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
O Lord kumbaya.
Someone’s crying my Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s praying my Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s singing my Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s laughing my Lord, kumbaya
A verse can be hummed before the first verse is repeated.

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13.  Down at the Station

Down at the station,
Early in the morning,
See the little puffa billies
All in a row.
Man at the engine
Pulls the little lever;
Ooh, ooh, shh, shh,
And off we go.Whooppee.

Down at the harbour,
Early in the morning,
See the little submarines all in a row.
Man at the engine
Turns a little handle;
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble
And down we go. Whoopee.

Down at the airport,
Early in the morning,
See the little jet planes
All in a row.
Man in the cockpit
Pulls the little joystick;
(Noise like a jet plane)
And off we go. Whoopee.

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14.  Music Man

Leader:
I am the music man
I come from down your way.
And I can play€¦
Reply:
What Can you play?
Leader:
I can play the Big bass Drum
Together:
Boom Boom Boom Boom.. etc

He can also play:
The Dambusters, Match of the day, Bouncy Chair, etc etc.
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15.  Jethro

Jethro had an auntie,
An auntie very poor.
One day she gave to Jethro
A rotten apple core.
Jethro didn’t like it,
He threw it in a shop,
Out came a man, with a frying pan
And hit on the top. BANG.

More work for the undertaker,
More work for the coffin maker
Go to the local cemetery
There you’ll see poor Jethro. Frisky.

Jethro had an uncle,
An uncle very rich,
One day he gave to Jethro
The sum of 2/6d. (Two and six)
Jethro feeling thirsty,
Went to the lemonade shop
Ten lemonades and Ten ginger beers
And Jethro went off pop. BANG.

More work for the under taker
More work for the coffin maker
Go to the local cemetery
There you’ll see poor Jethro. Frisky.

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16.  The Woodpecker Song

I put my finger in the woodpecker’s hole
And the woodpecker said
‘God bless my soul, Take it out, take it out, remove it’
So I removed my finger from the woodpecker’s hole,
And the woodpecker said
‘God bless my soul, Put it back, put it back, replace it’
So I replaced my finger in the woodpecker’s hole
And the woodpecker said
‘God bless my soul Turn it round, turn it round, revolve it’.
So I revolved my finger in the woodpecker’s hole
And the woodpecker said,
‘God bless my soul t’other way, t’other way, reverse it’.
So I reversed my finger in the woodpecker’s hole
And the woodpecker said,
‘God bless my soul, in and out in and out, reciprocate it.
So I reciprocated my finger in the woodpecker’s hole and the woodpecker said €˜God bless my soul.’

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17.  The Three Widows.

Three  widows sat on the churchyard wall,
Oooh, Aaah
They saw three corpses carried in,
Oooh, Aaah
The corpses they were long and thin,
Oooh, Aaah
The worms crawled out and the worms crawled in,
Oooh, Aaah
In the nose and out the chin,
Oooh, Aaah
The widows to the corpses said:
Oooh, Aaah
Will I be like you when I’m dead,
Oooh, Aaah
The corpses to the widows said:
€˜€¦€¦..’

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18.  The Three Cornered Hat.

My hat it has three corners,
Three corners has my hat,
And if it had not three corners,
It would not be my hat.

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19.  Punchinello.

Oh, dear Mother to be married
To Mr. Punchinello.
Oh, dear Mother to be married
To Mr Punchinello.
To Mr Pun, to Mr Chin, to Mr L, to Mr O,
Pun Chin Ell O

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20.  Ilkly Moor Ba Tat

Where hast thou been since I saw thee, I saw thee
On Ilkly Moor Ba Tat
Where hast thou been since I saw
Where hast thou been since I saw
Where best thou been since I saw thee, I saw thee?
chorus
On Ilkly Moor Ba Tat (Where’s that?)
On Ilkly Moor Ba Tat (Where’s that?)
On Ilkly Moor Ba Tat. (Where’s that?)
I’ve been a-courting Mary Jane
Mary Jane
On Ilkly Moor Ba Tat
I’ve been a- courting Mary
I’ve been a-courting Mary
I’ve been a-courting Mary Jane, Mary Jane,
chorus
Then thou shall catch thy death of cold.
Then we shall have to bury thee.
Then worms shall come & eat thee up.
Then ducks shall come & eat up worms.
Then we shall come & eat up ducks.
Then we all shall have eaten thee.

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21.  Crazy Moose

(leader sings a line, everyone repeats)
There was a crazy moose. repeat
And he drank a lot of juice. repeat
There was a crazy moose repeat
And he drank a lot of juice repeat
(Chorus)
Singing way-oh, way oh repeat
Way-up, way-up, way-up way-up repeat
Way oh, way oh repeat
Way-up, way-up, way-up, way-up repeat
Now his name was Fred…. and he drank juice in his bed.
He didn’t take much care…..and he spilt some in his hair.
All his hair went stiff…….so he styled it in a quiff.
And his friends did laugh… …so he had to take a bath.
As the water went down……Fred the moose began to drown .
(chorus this time only:)
Singing glug-glug-glug-glug etc.
Now let’s all count to five…. Fred the moose is back alive.

(Singing way-oh way-oh…etc.)

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22.  Boom Chicka Boom

(A repeat-after-me-song)
I said a boom chicka boom.
I said a boom chicka boom!
I said a boom chicka racka chicka racka chicka boom!
Uh-huh!  Oh yeah! One more time€¦

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23.  Pizza Hut

A Pizza Hut, A Pizza Hut
Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut (x2)
Macdonald’s, Macdonald’s Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut (x2)

Ford Escort, Mini, Ferrari,
Big cub scout, tiny little beaver, Akela
Burger King, Little Chef, Tandoori

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24.  Singing in the Rain

We’re singing in the rain, just singing in the rain.
What a glorious feeling, we’re happy again.
Hold on [Group echoes.]
Wait a minute [Group echoes.]
Arms Out, [Group echoes.]
Thumbs up! [Group echoes.]

A Rooch a cha, a Rooch a cha a roocha cha cha [Group echoes.]
Add each of the following, in turn:
Elbows in, Knees together Toes together, Bums out, Chests out,
Head Back, Tongue out.

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25.   She sat on the veranda

She sat on the veranda and played her guitar, played her guitar, played her guitar.
She sat on the veranda and played her guitar, played her guitar ar ar arrrr.
He sat down beside her and smoked his cigar. (etc)
He said that he loved her but oh how he lied. (etc)
She said that she loved him but oh how she sighed. (etc)
They were to be married but somehow she died. (etc)
He went to the funeral but just for the ride. (etc)
He sat on the tombstone and laughed till he cried. (etc)
The tombstone fell on him and squish squash he died. (etc)
She went to heaven and flip flap she flied.  (etc)
He went to t’other place and frizzled and fried. (etc)
The moral of this story is ne’er tell a lie. (etc)

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26.  On Top of Spaghetti

On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese,
I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed.
It rolled off the table, and onto the floor
And then my poor meatball, rolled out of the door.
It rolled down the garden, and under a bush
And then my poor meatball, was nothing but mush.
A hundred years later, a meatball bush grew,
and now my poor meatball is back in the stew.

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27.  Oh a Lay a

(leader sings a line, everyone repeats)
Oh a lay a
Perri tici tumba
Maza maza maza
Oh a lu, lua a lu, lua lay

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28.  Hot Time in the Old Town€¦

The Chorus is a round.  Separate the pack into 4 groups:
Group 1: (yells) fire, fire, fire, fire!
Group 2: (yells) Pour on water, pour on water!
Group 3: (yells) Save my children! Save my children!
Group 4: (yells) Jump lady Jump
Four nights ago, when we were all in bed,
Old Mother Leary put a lantern in the shed,
And when the cow kicked it over,
She winked her eye and said,
€œThere’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight!€ chorus
3 nights ago etc€¦chorus
2 nights ago etc€¦chorus:
1 night ago etc€¦ chorus
Late last night etc€¦chorus

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29.  Animal Fair

I went to the animal fair
The birds and the beasts were there
The big baboon by the light of the moon
Was combing his golden hair
The monkey fell out of his bunk, (clap)
Slid down the elephant’s trunk, weeeee
The elephant sneezed and fell on his knees
And what became of the monkey, monkey

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30.  Alice the Camel

Alice the camel’s got five humps
Alice the camel’s got five humps
Alice the camel’s got five humps
So go Alice go, boom, boom, boom.
Alice the camel’s got four humps,
three humps, two humps, got one hump,

Alice the camel’s got no humps…
So Alice is a horse!

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31.  The Pirate Song

When I was one, I had just begun the day I went to sea,
I climbed aboard a pirate ship and the captain said to me:
“We’re going this way, that way, forward backwards
Over the Irish Sea,
A bottle of Rum to settle my tum,
And that’s the life for me.
Da, da, da dum dum dum … Da, da, da dum dum dum …
When I was two, I tied my shoe the day I went to sea..
When I was three, I bumped my knee€¦
When I was four, I shut the door …
When I was five, I was still alive …
When I was six, I gathered sticks …
When I was seven, I was almost in heaven …
When I was eight, I closed the gate …
When I was nine, I was feeling fine …
When I was ten, I started again …

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32.  Yellow Bird

There was a yellow bird (repeat)
With a yellow bill (repeat)
It landed on (repeat)
My window sill (repeat)
I coaxed him in (repeat)
With a piece of bread (repeat)
And then I squashed (repeat)
His fuzzy head (Repeat)

Other verses
….piece of cheese ….And then I whacked….it on the knees….

….plate of spaghetti….then I cut off its wings….with my machete….

….bottle of Tizer….and then I put it….in the liquidiser….

….Spice Girls poster….and then I put it….in the pop-up toaster….

….chicken Chow Mein….put a straw up its nose….and sucked out its brain….

More can be made up€¦

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33.   Down to the Valley

We’ll go down to the valley
Down to the valley, Down to the valley
One by one, One by one
We’ll go down to the valley
Down to the valley, down to the valley
By the setting of the sun.
(repeat a few times, getting quieter until almost silent) Then:
We’ll go up from the valley,
up from the valley, up from the valley
One by one, one by one
We’ll go up from the valley
Up from the valley, up from the valley by the rising of the sun.
(Repeat until sung loudly)

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34.   International Car Song

to tune of Frere Jacques
Lamborghini, repeat.
Land Rover, repeat.
Fiat Ford Volkswagen, repeat.
Subaru, repeat.

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35.    Rule Britannia

Rule Britannia,
With marmalade and jam,
5 Chinese crackers in your ears go bang.
Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang etc.
then 4, 3,2 and 1.

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36.    We Are the Red Men

We are the Red Men tall and quaint,
sit up straight
In our feathers,
both hands up waggling fingers behind head
And war paint.
bring fingers across face as if to paint face
Pow wow, pow wow,
arms outstretched over head, pull down leaning
We’re the men of the old dun cow.
arms stretched out in front forwards
All of us are Red Men,
right arm over left arm, left arm over right to fold
Feathers in our head man,
both hands up waggling fingers behind head
Down amongst the dead men,
hands off head, fingers pointing straight down
Ugh! Pow wow, pow wow.
arms outstretched over head, pull down leaning forwards.

We can fight with sticks and stones,
Bows and arrows, bricks and bones etc.

When we come home from fights and wars,
We’re greeted by our long nosed squaws etc.

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37.   Land of the Silver Birch

Land of the silver birch, home of the beaver,
Where still the mighty moose wandered at will
Chorus:
Blue lake and rocky shore, I will return once more,
Boom diddle li di, boom diddle li di,
Boom diddle li di, boom.

My heart is sick for you, here in the lowlands,
I will return to you, hills of the north.
Chorus
Swift as a silver fish, canoe of birch bark,
The mighty waterways carry me forth.
Chorus
There where the blue lake lies, I’ll set my wigwam,
Close to the water’s edge, silent and still.
Chorus

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38.   Fe Fi

The leader speaks these lines accompanied with alternately slapping their thighs, and clapping their hands to produce the rhythm. The audience repeats them once he has finished a line.

Fe
Fe Fi
Fe Fi Fo
Cwmala
Veesa
Cwmala cwmala cwmala veesa
Oh no no no no la veesa
Eeeny meeny decimeeny ooh aah na wanah meeny
Beep diddly odun bodun doo aah skaduda bodun.

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39.  There Ain’t no Flies on Us

There ain’t no flies on us!
There ain’t no flies on us!
There may be flies on some of you guys, But there ain’t no flies on us!

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40.   Joe

In this one the audience repeats each line straight after the leader and keeps the ever increasing actions going through the whole thing.
Hi
My name’s Joe
And I work in a button factory
One day me boss says to me
Are you busy Joe?
So I says no
So he says push this button with your right hand.

As the song progresses, you add in more bits to push the button with until you are leaping around like mad things. You can push buttons with almost anything including hands, legs, heads, tongues and backsides.

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41.  Dutch Footballers

Once there were three Dutch footballers. Once there were three Dutch footballers.
Dutch Dutch Footballers
Dutch Dutch Footballers
Once there were three Dutch footballers.

The first one’s name was Van Nistelrooy. The first one’s name was Van Nistelrooy.
Van Van Nistelrooy
Van Van Nistelrooy
The first one’s name was Van Nistelrooy.

The second one’s name was Johan Cruyff. The second one’s name was Johan Cruyff.
Joh oh han han Cruyff
Joh oh han han Cruyff
The second one’s name was Johan Cruyff.

The third one’s name was Van Der Sar. The third one’s name was Van Der Sar.
Van der Van Der Sar.
Van der, Van Der Sar .
The third one’s name was Van Der Sar.

They all came from Amster Shhhhh
They all came from Amster Shhhhh
Amster naughty word
Amster naughty word
They all came from AmsterDAM!

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42.  Boomalacka

Boomalacka boomalacka,
Bow wow wow.
Chinalacka chinalacka,
Chow chow chow.
Boomalacka chinalacka:
Who are we?
The Fifth South Beckenham,
Can’t you SEE?!

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43.  Old MacDonald’s Farm

Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm
He had a cow E-I-E-I-O
With a moo moo here and
A moo moo there
Here a moo, there a moo
Everywhere a moo moo
Old MacDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O.
Oh way down south (repeat)
Where the water melons grow (repeat)
Back to my home (repeat)I dare not go. (repeat)
For if I did (repeat)
My mother would say
What would she say?
Have you ever seen a cow
With a green eyed brow
Down at the old Red Lion?
(other verses with different animals)

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44. Taps

Day is done
Gone the sun
From the sea
From the hills
From the sky
All is well
Safely rest
God is nigh