Stallings Family Getaway

Campfire Songbook

Gather round the fire, pick a song, and sing along

1Banana Song

Listen on YouTube

And I like bananas,
And I know that mangos are sweet,
And I like papayas!
What? Papayas?

But nothing can beat the sweet love of God — doo doo wop,
Doo doo doo doo wop (×2), doo wop.
The sweet love of God — doo doo wop,
Doo doo doo doo wop (×2), doo wop.

I was walking in circles at 5 miles an hour,
Trying to get back to my Heavenly Father.
The world tastes so sweet — MWUAH!
But then soon turns sour.
If you let God in, you'll receive His power!

1, 2, 3!

And I like bananas,
And I know that mangos are sweet, and I like papayas,
What? Papayas? But nothing can beat the sweet love of God — doo doo wop,
Doo doo doo doo wop, doo doo doo doo wop, doo doo doo doo wop, doo wop.
The sweet love of God!

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2Great Big Moose

Listen on YouTube
Echo song: the leader sings each line, and everyone shouts it right back where you see echo.

There was a great big moose! echo
He liked to drink a lot of juice! echo
There was a great big moose! echo
He liked to drink a lot of juice! echo

Chorus

Singing way-oh, way-oh! echo
Way-oh, way-oh, way-oh, way-oh! echo
Way-oh, way-oh! echo
Way-oh, way-oh, way-oh, way-oh! echo

The moose's name was Fred! echo
He liked to drink his juice in bed! echo

Sing the chorus again

He drank his juice with care! echo
But he spilled it everywhere! echo

Sing the chorus again

Now he's a sticky moose! echo
A moose covered in juice! echo

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3The Bear Song

Listen on YouTube
Echo song: leader sings, everyone echoes echo. After each verse, the whole group sings the two lines together.

The other day, echo
I met a bear, echo
A great big bear, echo
Away out there. echo

All together

The other day I met a bear, a great big bear away out there.

He looked at me, echo
I looked at him, echo
He sized up me, echo
I sized up him. echo

All together

He looked at me, I looked at him, he sized up me, I sized up him.

He said to me, echo
"Why don't you run? echo
'Cause I can see, echo
You ain't got no gun." echo

And so I ran, echo
Away from there, echo
But right behind, echo
Me was that bear. echo

Ahead of me, echo
I saw a tree, echo
A great big tree, echo
Oh, glory be! echo

The nearest branch, echo
Was ten feet up, echo
I'd have to jump, echo
And trust my luck. echo

And so I jumped, echo
Into the air, echo
But I missed that branch, echo
Away up there. echo

Now don't you fret, echo
And don't you frown, echo
'Cause I caught that branch, echo
On the way back down! echo

That's all there is, echo
There ain't no more, echo
Unless I meet, echo
That bear once more. echo

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4Three-Group Round

Listen on YouTube
Split into three groups. Each group sings only its own line — over and over, all at the same time. It sounds like glorious chaos, and that's the whole point!
Group 1

One bottle of pop, two bottle of pop, three bottle of pop, four bottle of pop, five bottle of pop, six bottle of pop, seven bottle of pop, POP!

Group 2

Don't put your trash in my backyard, my backyard, my backyard. Don't put your trash in my backyard — my backyard's FULL!

Group 3

Fish and chips and vinegar, vinegar, vinegar. Fish and chips and vinegar — pepper, pepper, pepper, SALT!

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5The Disco Song

Listen on YouTube
Call & response: the leader sings a line, and everyone sings it right back.
Leader

I'm going to the disco!

Everyone

I'm going to the disco!

Leader

I got my disco shoes and my disco fro!

Everyone

I got my disco shoes and my disco fro!

Leader

I'm gonna do a little dance that you don't know!

Everyone

I'm gonna do a little dance that you don't know!

Now the leader points to someone: "Do the [name]!" That person busts out a dance move — and everybody copies it. Keep going around the circle!
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6The Little White Box

Listen on YouTube
Sing it through, then repeat faster and faster each time!

If I had a little white box
To put my Jesus in,
I'd take Him out and kiss, kiss, kiss,
And share Him with a friend.

If I had a little red box
To put the devil in,
I'd take him out and SMASH HIS FACE,
And put him right back again!

Repeat — a little faster every time
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7My Little Red Wagon

Listen on YouTube
Echo song — everyone repeats each line echo. Then start over: a little bit louder and a whole lot worse!

You can't ride in my little red wagon! echo
The front wheel's broken and the axle's draggin'! echo
Um-pow, um-pow-pow-pow! echo
Um-pow, um-ow-oi! echo
Chugga, chugga-chugga-chugga! echo

All together

Second verse, same as the first — a little bit louder and a whole lot worse!

Repeat — louder and worse each round!
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8Sixties Party

Listen on YouTube
Action song that stacks up: add each new move to the end, then do all the moves again in reverse order. It keeps growing!

It's a sixties party from a sixties movie!
See the surfers on their surfboards:
Da-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na na! Da-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na na!

Surf! Pretend to ride a surfboard.

See the swimmers in the water: Swim, swim, swim, swim!

Swim — then go back to surfing.

See the jellyfish on the beaches: Squish, squish, squish, squish!

See the tanners on their towels: Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!

See the lifeguards on their towers: Flex, flex, flex, flex!

See the seagulls in the sky: Squawk, squawk, squawk, squawk!

Each time, add the new move — then run back through every move in reverse!
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9Little Cabin in the Woods

Listen on YouTube
Drop-a-word song: sing it with all the hand motions. Each round, drop one line's words and just do the motion — until the last round is all motions and no words!

In a cabin in the woods,

Draw a square house in the air.

A little old man by the window stood,

Hand to forehead, looking out.

Saw a rabbit hopping by,

Two fingers hopping.

Knocking at the door.

Pound your fist in the air.

"Help me, help me, help!" he said,

Throw your arms up dramatically.

"Or the hunter'll shoot me dead!"

Make a finger gun.

"Come little rabbit, come inside,

Motion "come here."

Safely we will abide."

Cradle your hands like you're holding a rabbit.
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10Wishy-Washy Washer Woman

Listen on YouTube
Leader sings, everyone follows — and it speeds up every time!

Way down in the valley where nobody goes,
There's a wishy-washy washer woman washing her clothes.
She goes OOO-AHH, OOO-AHH — that's how the washer woman washes her clothes!

ALLA-YATCHA!
A-GOOCHY-GOOCHY-GOO!

Leader repeats — faster every time

She goes wishy-washy up! She goes wishy-washy down!
She goes wishy-washy up! She goes wishy-washy down!
That's how the wishy-washy washer woman washes her clothes!

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11The Beaver Song

Listen on YouTube
Action song: do the move for each verse, then everybody chatters Ch-ch-ch-ch! (or "Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!")

Beaver one, beaver all, let's all do the beaver call!

Make beaver front teeth with your fingers over your mouth.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch!

Beaver two, beaver three, let's all climb a beaver tree!

Pretend to climb a tree trunk.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch!

Beaver four, beaver five, let's all do the beaver jive!

Do a classic hand jive.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch!

Beaver six, beaver seven, let's all go to beaver heaven!

Flap your arms like little angel wings and float around.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch!

Beaver eight, beaver nine — STOP! It's beaver time!

Break out your very best crazy dance moves!
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12Baby Shark

Listen on YouTube
The camp version — with all the hand chomps. You know this one!

Baby shark, doot doot, doot doot doot doot!

Small pinch with your hands.

Mama shark, doot doot, doot doot doot doot!

Chomp with your wrists together.

Daddy shark, doot doot, doot doot doot doot!

Big full-arm chomps.

Grandma shark, doot doot, doot doot doot doot!

Chomp with your knuckles folded.

Saw a shark, doot doot…
Swimming fast, doot doot…
Shark attack! doot doot…

Lost a leg! doot doot, doot doot doot doot!

Hop on one leg.

Lost an arm! doot doot, doot doot doot doot!

Tuck one arm in — and keep hopping!

911, doot doot…
CPR, doot doot…
It's not working, doot doot…
Going to heaven, doot doot…

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13The Princess Pat

Listen on YouTube
Echo song — the leader sings each line, everyone echoes it right back where you see echo, with hand motions.

The Princess Pat echo (salute)
Lived in a tree echo (arms up like branches)
She sailed across echo (wave like water)
The seven seas echo (seven fingers)
She sailed across echo
The channel two echo (two fingers)
And took with her echo
A rick-a-bamboo echo (roll your fists)

Chorus (everyone)

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 echo (salute)
Had a mighty fine crew echo
He sailed across echo
The channel two echo
But his ship sank echo (dive hands down)
And yours will too echo (point at everyone)
If you don't take echo
A rick-a-bamboo echo (roll your fists)

Sing the chorus again to finish
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14Boom Chicka Boom

Listen on YouTube
Repeat-after-me — the leader sings each line, everyone echoes it echo. At the end the leader shouts a silly style, and you sing the whole thing again in that voice. Sillier every round!

I said a boom-chicka-boom! echo
I said a boom-chicka-boom! echo
I said a boom-chicka-rocka-chicka-rocka-chicka-boom! echo
Uh-huh! echo
Oh yeah! echo
One more time — [style] style!

Silly styles to call out

Same words, new voice:
Loud · Whisper · Underwater (flap a finger over your lips) · Baby · Opera · Valley girl

Or swap the words:
Cowboy: "howdy-chicka-howdy… rope-a-chicka-rope-a-chicka-steer!"
Race car: "vroom-shifta-vroom… zooma-shifta-zooma-shifta-vroom!"
Astronaut: "zoom-chicka-zoom…"

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15Herman the Worm

Listen on YouTube
Action story — same verse each time, but show how BIG Herman is with your hands, and each round he's eaten someone new. The last round he's tiny again… because he burped!

Sittin' on a fencepost (sit up tall)
Chewin' my bubblegum (chomp, chomp, chomp)
Playin' with my yo-yo (weee-ooo!)
When along came Herman the worm.

And he was this big (hands a little apart).
And I said, "Herman? What happened?"
And he said… "I ate my sister!"

Each round, Herman grows

this big (a bit wider) → "I ate my brother!"
THIS big (wider still) → "I ate my mother!"
THIS BIG (arms all the way out) → "I ate my father!"

Then… (pinch your fingers tiny) "Herman?! You're so small!"
And he said: "I burped!"

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16Tarzan

Listen on YouTube
Repeat-after-me with big motions — do Tarzan in a booming voice, Jane all dainty. It builds: each verse adds the last character onto the end.

Tarzan! (flex your muscles)
Swingin' on a rubber band! (pretend to swing)
Tarzan!
Smacked into a frying pan! (clap!)
Ouch, that hurts!
Now Tarzan has a tan (rub your arms)
And I hope it doesn't peel… like a banana! (pound your chest)

Jane! (flip your hair)
Cruisin' in her aeroplane! (arms out like wings)
Jane!
Crashed into a freeway lane! (clap!)
Ouch, that hurts!
Now Jane has a pain (hold your side)
and Tarzan has a tan, and I hope it doesn't peel… like a banana!

Cheetah! (pounce)
Dancin' on a pizza! (little dance)
Cheetah!
Got eaten by an amoeba! (chomp)
Ouch, that hurts!
Now Cheetah is Velveeta (hands squished flat)
and Jane has a pain, and Tarzan has a tan, and I hope it doesn't peel… like a banaaaana!

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17Down by the Bay

Listen on YouTube
Call & response — the leader sings the frame, everyone echoes it echo; then everyone sings a silly rhyme. Make up your own!

Down by the bay echo
Where the watermelons grow echo
Back to my home echo
I dare not go echo
For if I do echo
My mother will say echo

Everyone — pick a rhyme!

Did you ever see a goose kissing a moose?
Did you ever see a whale with a polka-dot tail?
Did you ever see a bear combing his hair?
Did you ever see a llama wearing pajamas?
Did you ever see a fly wearing a tie?
Down by the bay!

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18Father Abraham

Listen on YouTube
Cumulative action — everyone stands. Each time through, add one more motion and keep them ALL going at once, faster and sillier, until you "sit down!"

Father Abraham had many sons,
Many sons had Father Abraham.
And I am one of them, and so are you,
So let's all praise the Lord! —
Right arm! (start swinging it… and keep it going)

Add one each round (keep them all going)

Right arm → left arm → right foot → left foot →
nod your head → turn around → sit down!

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19My God Is So Big

Listen on YouTube
Sing-along with motions — big arms on "so big," flex on "so strong," and two claps on "cannot do!"

My God is so big, (reach both arms up and wide)
so strong (flex like a strongman) and so mighty,
there's nothing my God cannot do! (clap, clap!)
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty,
there's nothing my God cannot do! (clap, clap!)

The mountains are His, (make peaks overhead)
the valleys are His, (swoop hands low)
the stars are His handiwork too. (twinkle fingers up high)

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty,
there's nothing my God cannot do! (clap, clap — for you!)

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20Pharaoh, Pharaoh

Listen on YouTube
Call & response to the tune of "Louie Louie" — belt the chorus, half-rap the verses.
Chorus (everyone)

Pharaoh, Pharaoh, (hands up, palms up)
ooh baby, let my people go! (thumbs back over your shoulders)
Ooh-ah, ya-ya-ya-ya! (shake spread hands overhead)
I said Pharaoh, Pharaoh,
ooh baby, let my people go!

Verse 1

Well, a burning bush told me just the other day
that I should come over here and stay.
Gotta get my people out of Pharaoh's hand
and lead them all to the promised land. I said…

Chorus
Verse 2

Well, me and God's people comin' to the Red Sea,
and Pharaoh's army comin' after me.
I raised my rod, stuck it in the sand,
and all of God's people walked across dry land. I said…

Chorus
Verse 3

Well, Pharaoh's army was a-comin' too,
so what do you think that I did do?
I raised my rod and cleared my throat,
and all of Pharaoh's army did the dead man's float! (plug your nose, tip over) I said…

Chorus
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Sing loud, sing silly, and make some memories around the fire.
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Emoji by Twemoji, CC BY 4.0.
Songs