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For Info on Music in Girl Scouting (Turning Harmonies into Memories, Songs of Thanks and Graces, Copyrights and You) please visit GS Central/Music

There are several Girl Scout Songbooks and tapes currently available.
Check your camp library or GS Shop, or Melinda Caroll/GS Music
MC's site includes lyrics which they have permission to distribute. Please read
'Legend Productions Music Permissions Policy' before copying any lyrics.

The following 'notes' include different style songs that might be used at camp or around a campfire.
The links are designed to give you some history or interesting background information to relate when passing on these songs.

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World

[updated 3/15/04]

Who is Princess Pat? Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was named in 1914 after Princess Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth of Connaught and Strathearn, daughter of the Governor-General of Canada and I've read, the grand-daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The Original Colour, The Ric-a-Dam-Doo, was hand-made by Princess Patricia and presented to the Regiment on the 23th of August, 1914. It was carried in action by the Regiment throughout the First World War. It was red and gold and royal blue. The latest deployment of the PPCLI thatI know of was in Afghanistan in 2002. The original version of their regiment song is quite different from the GG/GS versions of today.

There has been much controversy over the current versions of the song. Some Canadians are offended. Some are not. Many have asked that we do not sing any version.

View a portrait of Princess Pat

View the red, gold and circle of royal blue of the original ric a dam doo (gaelic for 'cloth of thy mother')

Read about a member of the PPCLI Comedy Company during World War I, Lieutenant Gitz Ingraham Rice.

One of the "modern" versions:	Some of the original regiment song:
The Princess Pats, Light Infantry,	The Princess Pat's Battalion
They sailed across, the seven seas	They sailed across the Herring Pond,
They sailed across, the channel, too	They sailed across the Channel too,
And took with them, a Ric-a-bamboo.	And landed there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo
A Ric-a-bamboo, now what is that?	The Ric-A-Dam-Doo, pray what is that?
It was made by the Princess Pat.	'Twas made at home by Princess Pat,
It's red and gold, and purple, too,	It's Red and Gold and Royal Blue,
That's what it's called a Ric-a-bamboo.	That's what we call the Ric-A-Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

Princess Pat as performed by Melinda Caroll

Songs of Thanks and Graces

"Many cultures use songs to express thanks for good friends and good food prior to meals or as part of a ceremony. The decision to say a grace, blessing, or invocation is made locally at the troop or group level, and should be sensitive to the spiritual beliefs of all participants." GSUSA music

 ~ Alphabet Grace ~
[adapted]
Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
I thank you for feeding me.

Boa Constrictor ~ from Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

The version I learned at Girl Scout Camp:

Oh I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor, a boa constrictor, a boa constrictor. I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor, oh, what shall I do...
Oh, gee, he's up to my knee.
Oh fiddle, he's up to my middle.
Oh heck, he's up to my neck.
Oh, dread he's up to my... gulp!

American Folklife Center

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