Everywhere we go...

Not quite as nice as 'Boomalacka', because it isn't as good at a mixed campfire, but this is another good loud one. Obviously, replace the Forestdale Cub Scouts reference with your own group name. Its weakness is that it forces you to simply build the volume.

Everywhere we go,    (echo)
People always ask us,    (echo)
Who we are,    (echo)
Where we come from,    (echo)
So we tell them,    (echo)
We're the Forestdale Cub Scouts,    (echo)
The mighty, mighty, Forestdale,    (echo)
And if they don't hear us,    (echo)
We shout a little louder...    (echo)

Once you've got the loudest you can, the last verse ends with

And if they don't hear us,    (echo)
They must be deaf.    (echo)

You'll never go to heaven

'Oh you'll never go to heaven' is a real campfire classic. Personally, not my favourite, but everyone else seems to enjoy it. Try to make sure a couple of your audience are up for adding verses, it is more fun when the words are coming from round the circle.

There is a 'proper' start to it, though I usually just go into the verses. The four lines are sung as a call and response, then the whole verse is sung through followed by the chorus. 

The Preacher when down.....  (echo)
To the church one day.....  (echo)
And he got on his knees....  (echo)
And he started to pray....  (echo)

Repeat the verse as a single singthrough...

The Preacher when down to the church one day, and he got on his knees and he started to pray.

And then we get the chorus...

I ain't gonna grieve My Lord, 
I ain't gonna grieve My Lord, 
I ain't gonna grieve My Lord, 
I ain't gonna grieve, My Lord no more.


He asked the Angels...   (echo)
For some advice....   (echo)
How do I get to Heaven...   (echo)
This was their reply...   (echo)

Repeat the verse, sing the chorus.

Oh you'll never go to Heaven / In a baked bean tin / 'Cos a baked bean tin's / Got baked beans it.

I'm sure you get it by now...

Oh you'll never go to Heaven / In Akela's car / 'Cos Akela's car / Won't go that far.

Oh you'll never go to Heaven / With a fat Girl Guide / 'Cos the pearly gates / Aren't built that wide.

Oh you'll never go to Heaven / In a bottle of gin / 'Cos the Lord won't let / No spirits in.

Oh you'll never go to Heaven / On a piece of glass / 'Cos a piece of glass / Might cut your elbow.

Oh you'll never go to Heaven / In a Jumbo Jet / 'Cos the Lord ain't got / No runways yet.

And so on, seemingly for ever. Make up your own verses, they will either work and come back in future camps or be lost in the fire... either way, good luck!

Blue Jay

This song is a useful one to have tucked away in your head - easy words, and call and response songs are always a fallback if the fire don't know many words themselves.

Down in the meadow not so very far off,    (echo)
Blue Jay died of the whooping cough,    (echo)
He whooped so hard with the whooping cough,    (echo)
He whooped his head and his tail right off.    (echo)

Remember that you don't need to just use volume - changes to the timing and higher and lower pitched verses make it more interesting for everyone, and that saves your voice a bit as well.

Oh Aleya

I was told that this is one of the oldest campfire songs in scouting, and another leader in my group has confirmed that she has a version of it on a tape of traditional African childrens's songs. This song responds well to a big voice and a happy heart...

There are many slight variants of the words to this song, all of which sound pretty much the same, so if you have another version, feel free!

Oh Aleya (echo)
Itsi itsi ommba (echo)
Massa massa massa (echo)
Oh balawey, balawey, balawah (echo)

How to... run a 'call and response' song

Call and response songs are songs where the campfire leader sings a line and the campfire echo it back. For that reason, I think they are the easiest to run because you aren't relying on the campfire to know the words or the tune - you give it to them on a plate every time.

What you do have to do is to watch the audience carefully - go on for too long and you've lost them. Have in mind a variety of ways to do the song, as well, because you won't be able to make it up on the fly.

Things I have done that have worked:

• Loud and louder
• Whispered
• Staccato
• High-pitched voice
• Very deep voice
• Sustain the first note of each line as long as possible
• Loudest possible verse to finish

As far as I'm concerned, the biggest pitfall to avoid is someone else's accent. Unless you are VERY good at accents, don't try it. It's all too easy to end up in some horrible racial mess that starts out Wales and ends up in Pakistan via Liverpool in four lines of a song.

And above all, enjoy yourself!