Growing up in the 1940s and 50s, one of my favorite summertime experiences was “going to camp.” For me, this was Boy Scout Camp with all the fun of archery, Indian lore, crafts, canoeing, swimming, and outdoor adventures. I did this for several years both as a camper and as staff.
Each evening, just after dark and before “lights out,” all we campers would assemble at the camp’s lakeside mini-amphitheater to end the day with what was simply called “Campfire.” The big bonfire was lit “miraculously” by the camp “spirit” and, after announcements, demonstrations, and—from time to time—a skit or story, it ended with the camp “Sing.”
We were all young enough and innocent enough in those days to join in with singing those good old camp favorites that had been around for years and, indeed, for generations.
We could even hear the Girl Scouts from their camp across the lake but, as would be expected with the youth of those days, we were too young and naive to notice. Sort of . . .
When I was on staff, I was honored to be assigned the daily task of “fire spirit” and charged with setting the tinder, kindling, and wood for the evening’s fire. Secretly, at the mysteriously correct time, I would stealthily pull the hidden cord that dragged the weighted wood block studded with “strike-anywhere” matches over the sheet of coarse sandpaper hidden beneath the tinder. Spark, flame, then fire, then the magic CAMPFIRE! Hey, it was the 1950s! Times were simpler then.
Those so-called campfire songs—sometimes published with appropriate ukulele or guitar accompaniment chords—have been around for years. Songbooks for boys, girls, and grownups filled with these were readily available but seldom needed. We already knew almost all of them.
And, of course, this was the most popular songbook of all for campfires or anywhere! But most songs were too well known to really need a book.
The songs were familiar and, usually, more than three chords were all that were necessary. How’s this for a favorite oldie? Only two chords! Don’t tell me you have never sung all eleven of the verses around a campfire or somewhere else. No need for a YouTube here; just remember and sing as silently as you can to yourself. Don’t cheat! Sing it all.
How about another old chestnut (peanut?) of a campfire song? This is one of the oldest out there.
Earworm alert! Tap or click on the triangle in the next image and listen for as long as you can stand it!
Moving on from kiddie-camp songs. Quickly!
One of the better known musicological genres of campfire songs are those of the cowboys and the West.
I’m sure that there were plenty of bawdy songs sung around these big-boy campfires (unlike we Boy Scouts, of course!), but we won’t go there with this simple musing. Nostalgia for the good old things are a tad more PG!
Take this oldie for instance. Click or tap on the triangle in the next image for a look and listen to this poetry in music– lit, of course, by many a campfire Western or not.
Click or tap on the next image for a listen to some good baritone uke strumming on this other campfire favorite.
Even Manhattan’s Cole Porter found a niche here. Tap or click on the triangle in the next image to see and hear Roy Rogers have a go at this Porter tune in a “modern campfire”–a stage in a nightclub!
Moving on, here is another musicological campfire genre–songs of soldiers, sailors too. Needless to say some of these go way, way back. Here’s one from the Civil War.
Tap or click on the triangle in the next image for a simple version of this Civil War camp ground song.
There were campfire songs back in days of World War I when singalongs were a popular form of entertainment both in camp and in the field.
The “Yanks” did a take on the old “Tenting Tonight” and dozens of other musical chestnuts. The “Tommies” had their campfire version of “Annie Laurie.
Tap or click on the triangle in the next image and grab a seat by the fire as it burns in wartime France.
Even during World War II there were singalongs and what could easily pass as campfire songs.
And, of course a bit of singalong trench humor!
Moving on, other campfire songs are, shall we say, a bit more modern.
Tap or click on the triangle in the next block for the late Allan Sherman’s performance of this ultimate camp song!
There was also a style of ukulele specifically called a “Camp Uke.”
This was soprano scale with a circular body almost like a wood-topped banjo uke. Lyon & Healy of Chicago pioneered these but , as would be expected, a lot of folks copied the style and the name. Here’s one from my collection.
Of course, most other ukes work just fine around a campfire–in the woods, on the beach, or in the backyard. Especially to serenade your sweetie!
Just keep those ukes out of the kindling pile!
Now another musicological campfire genre (usually called a “bonfire,” however) was on a beach somewhere and usually were more coed than the Boy Scout variety. This allowed a bit more harmony, however, with those sopranos and altos joining the tenors and baritones.
Here’s a great bonfire song that we all know! Click or tap on the triangle in the next image for a quintessential reminder. Another earworm alert!
And, of course, the ideal ukulele for those beach bonfire parties. Just stick it into the sand between tunes!
So, lets end this musical musing with the way we always ended “Campfire” back in the sweet old summer days by the lake. Oh yes, the Girl Scouts sang it too!
Click or tap on the triangle in the next image to listen to how we ended Campfire when I was “The Spirit.”
So, as this summer thinks about closing, and whatever camps and campgrounds that were open have closed their gates, hopefully you were able to enjoy an evening campfire in the great outdoors or, at least, remember those happy ones from years past.
Perhaps not . . .
Whether camping, glamping, RV-ing, or fire-pitting in your backyard or nearby woods, hopefully you were compelled (coerced?) to pull out that old uke or guitar, strum a three-chord progression intro, and launch into a few of those smokey old songs that everyone already knew from their campfire days.
But, let’s not let our campfire fun get too 2023-ish . . .
Or . . .
So, remember those campfires of yore, and have a great big . . .
STAY TUNED s’more!
NOHOBANJO OF NORTHAMPTON, AND NOW EASTHAMPTON, "MUSICAL MUSINGS" 