Two Campfire Songs
by Paul LeValley
There had been a week-long nude youth camp in
Florida in the 1970s. I revived the idea, and in 1993 served as
its first Camp Director. Years later, Judy Grisham expanded the
idea into a network of AANR youth camps, which have since dwindled back
down to one in the Eastern region.
I came from Boy Scout camps that did lots of singing
around the campfire. That old favorite, "Pink Pajamas," had only
one verse and a chorus that I knew of. So I wrote some additional
verses appropriate for the philosophy of this camp. It is sung to
the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," with some extra notes
added to the last lines of each verse.
PINK PAJAMAS
I wear my pink pajamas in the summer when it's hot,
I wear my long red flannels in the winter when it's not.
And sometimes in the springtime,
And sometimes in the fall,
I jump right in between the sheets with nothing on at all.
Whee!
Chorus
Glory, glory, what's it to ya?
Balmy breezes blowin' through ya.
Glory, glory, what's it to ya?
With nothing on at all.
I use my black umbrella in the summer when it's hot.
I use my yellow raincoat in the winter when it's not.
And sometimes in the springtime,
And sometimes in the fall,
I go right out and splash around with nothing on at all.
Whee!
(Chorus)
I got a tan in summertime that left my butt all white.
I stayed inside that winter till my parts all matched just right.
Then early in the springtime,
And straight through till the fall,
I went right out and got my tan with nothing on at all.
Whee!
(Chorus)
Grandpa went a-swimming with his chest all covered up.
Mamma's new bikini seemed real bold to her and Pop.
But great-grandma before that,
And great-great-grandpas all,
They jumped right in the water wearing nothing on at all.
Whee!
(Chorus)
So let the preacher tell me I should cover up with rags.
And let the politician talk of freedom, wrapped in flags.
I'm part of holy nature—
The freest one of all—
When I am walking through the woods with nothing on at all.
Whee!
(Chorus)
Surprisingly, the song began in the 1950s in Girl
Scout camps. (The garment in the second line was a flannel
nightie.) The boys quickly picked up the song, and it became a
campfire favorite.
In contrast, "Do Your Balls Hang Low?" had strictly
male origins in the British army during World War I. Soon there
was a sailor's version. Some do-gooder tried to clean it up as a
children's song, "Do Your Ears Hang Low?"—which makes no sense at
all. More recently, someone wrote a crude adult parody called "Do
Your Tits Hang Low?" This remains essentially a song for young
men and teenage boys.
DO YOUR BALLS HANG LOW?
Do your balls hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them o'er your shoulder like a continental soldier?
Do your balls hang low?
Do your balls hang high? Do they reach up to the sky?
Do they droop when they are wet? Do they stiffen when they're dry?
Do you get a funny feeling when your balls are near the ceiling?
Do your balls hang high?
Do your balls flip-flop? Can you use them for a mop?
Are they stringy at the bottom? Are they curly at the top?
Can you use them for a swatter? Can you use them for a blotter?
Do your balls flip-flop?
Do your balls hang out? Can you waggle them about?
Do they make the fellows jealous? Do they make the ladies shout?
Can you flip them up and down as you walk around the town?
Do your balls hang out?
Do your balls hang free? Can you move about with glee?
Can you toss away your clothes and let everybody see?
Do they sway in stormy weather? Do they tickle like a feather?
Do your balls hang free?
Does anybody want to sing about ears?
Surprisingly, no version mentioned a penis or sexual
activity. Like good naturists, the song-writers distinguished
between nudity and sex. The low humor comes from exaggerations
about anatomy.
The ditty was sung to the older tune we know as "Turkey in
the Straw," which has four-line verses and a three-line chorus.
All variants drop the chorus with its irregular rhythms. Still,
the rhyme scheme is unusual:
AA
BA
CC
A
If this second song is of interest to you, you may also be interested in the story, One Boy's Adventure in the South Seas.
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