Songs around the campfire

Singing around the campfire was once a wide-spread, traditional, oft-times mandatory, camping practice. Has this all-American activity gone out of style? Do you still teach and sing songs with your kids and parents when you go camping together? Let us know, and please share any songs you still sing, or remember once singing. Just the title is fine, lyrics and chords, tablature, or full sheet music even better.

While you’re thinking about muscial experiences in the great outdoors, here are some traditional campfire songs you might enjoy:

The Bear Went over the Mountain

The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain,
To see what he could see.
And all that he could see,
And all that he could see,
Was the other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain,
Was all that he could see!

She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain

She’ll be coming around the mountain when she comes! (Whoo, whoo!)
She’ll be coming around the mountain when she comes!
She’ll be coming around the mountain;
She’ll be coming around the mountain;
She’ll be coming around the mountain when she comes!

Other Verses:
She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes! (Whoa, there!)
We’ll all run out to meet her when she comes! (Hi babe!)
We’ll kill the old red rooster when she comes! [Wolf whistle.]
We’ll have chicken and dumplings when she comes! (Yum, yum!)
Oh, we’ll all have indigestion when she comes! (Burp, burp!)
She will have to sleep with Grandma when she comes! (Move over!)
She will have to wear red flannels when she comes! (Scratch, scratch!)
We will all be very sad when she leaves! (Boo, hoo)

Working on the Railroad

I’ve been working on the railroad
All the live long day
I’ve been working on the railroad
Just to pass the time away
Don’t you hear the whistle blowing,
Rise up so early in the morn
Don’t you hear the captain shouting,
Dinah blow your horn

Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah.Dinah won’t you blow
Dinah won’t you blow
Dinah won’t you blow your horn
Dinah won’t you blow
Dinah won’t you blow
Dinah won’t you blow your horn

Someone’s in the kitchen I know,
Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah,
Strummin’ on the old banjo, and singing

Fee-fi-fiddle-e-i-o
Fee-fi-fiddle-e-i-oooo
Fee-fi-fiddle-e-i-o (hold the o)
Strummin’ on the old banjo.