On long hikes during the endless slog to the car, I sing the funny camp song, "The Bear in Tennis Shoes." It's an "answering" song. This is a throwback to my 20s when I was a YMCA program director.
Kids love it. Apparently, some adults feel it's undignified to sing funny songs.
On long car trips, my family sang songs and rounds. So, my girl Claire and I sang on car trips. Made up rhyming songs on the fly. We laughed so hard, I had to stop singing to focus on driving.
"Will you teach me 'The Bear in Tennis Shoes' song?" Karen asked yesterday.
Karen reported her two year- grandson, Cole, is suddenly in love with singing. Karen taught Cole "Zippy De Do Dah" last week. Since then, Cole has been marching around belting it out.
To my delight, Karen and I sang "The Bear in Tennis Shoes" on our hike yesterday. Arriving home, I printed the song lyrics for her. I changed "oh glory be!" to "oh, woe is me!"
Enjoy "The Bear in Tennis Shoes" sung by a girl and her grandfather on guitar.
A few decades ago I drove a truck in the great white north. We used to regularly make up silly songs and revive old ones over the radio while trying to keep going for 3 days straight through a blizzard. Used to go it with my kids, came up with all kinds of silly stuff but never remembered any of it..
Of course who doesnβt?
Think about it. Who doesn't like singing silly songs? For starters:
People who believe they can't sing.
Shy people.
Macho men.
People who didn't grow up singing, etc.
@LiterateHiker one of our choir warm up songs is Black Socks: Black socks, they never get dirty, the more that you wear them the stronger they get. Sometimes, i think i should wash them but something keeps telling me donβt wash them yet, not yet, not yet...up a note and repeat lols.
@Buddha, @Jolanta, @BudFrank, @BestWithoutGods, @Zster, @FunkHead, @MrChange, @RoyMillar
"Will you make up a song about (her dog) Bonnie like 'The Bear in Tennis Shoes'"? Karen asked yesterday.
So I noodled around and came up with this:
Bonnie the Wonder Dog
The other day,
While on a hike.
Bonnie let us know
Here comes a bike!
The Wonder Dog
She hears a sound
In the distance
Keep her around!
We count on her
To stay secure.
If you fall behind
Sheβs always near!
One day I stopped.
Felt lost and thirst.
I whistled loud
Bonnie heard it first!
She led Karen
Straight back to me!
I felt relieved
And I could see.
Bonnie is great!
A faithful friend.
She sticks with us
Until the end!
The End, the End.
The End, the End.
The End, the End.
The End, the End.
Great! And true!
Thank you!
love it quick wit and true to your outings
Thank you, Roy.
Silly things are the best things. It's important to be foolish every now and again, ya know? To paraphrase a quote taken from an old, dead nihilist: A day spent without dancing is a waste of a day. If you feel the music, let it out, I say! Carpe diem, and all that
If someone feels it to be undignified, that is their problem and not yours. Maybe they should reconsider what "dignity" means to them. β