The Paddle Song

[theysawyoucomin']

I have only sung this song once at Wood Badge. We did not do a great job. Does anyone know where or what the music is for these lyrics

 

The Paddle Song

3 part round

 

Our paddles keen and bright,

Flashing like silver;

Swift as the wild goose flight,

Dip, dip, and swing.

 

Dip, dip, and swing them back,

Flashing like silver;

Swift as the wild goose flight,

Dip, dip and swing.

 

repeat

 

 

 

[le Voyageur]

Paddle Your Own Canoe

I've travelled about a bit in me time, of troubles I've seen a few

I found it far better in every clime to paddle me own canoe

 

Me wants they are small I care not at all, me debts they are paid when due

I drive away strife from the ocean of life and paddle me own canoe

 

And I have no wife to bother me life, no lover to prove untrue

The whole day long I laugh with the song and paddle me own canoe

 

So love everybody, trust only the few as the world I go travelling through

And never sit down with a tear and a frown, but paddle your own canoe

I rise with the lark from daylight to dark, I do what I have to do

I'm careless in wealth, I've only me health to paddle me own canoe

 

And I have no wife to bother me life, no lover to prove untrue

The whole day long I laugh with the song and paddle me own canoe

 

It's all very well to depend on a friend, that is if you proved him true

You'll find it better by far in the end to paddle your own canoe

 

To borrow is dearer by far than to buy, a saying though old still true

You never will sigh if you only will try to paddle your own canoe

 

And I have no wife to bother me life, no lover to prove untrue

The whole day long I laugh with the song and paddle me own canoe

 

Though England has ruled our small little land and manys the country too

Just take my advice and never think twice to paddle your own canoe

It's better I say to make your own way as the world you go travelling through

You never will sigh if you only will try to paddle your own canoe

 

And I have no wife to bother me life, no lover to prove untrue

The whole day long I laugh with the song and paddle me own canoe

[le Voyageur]

An Irish Lament....

 

The Water is Wide

 

The water is wide, I can't cross over

and neither I have wings to fly

give me a boat that can carry two

and both shall row - my love and I

 

Now love is gentle, and love is kind

the sweetest flower when first it's new

but love grows old, and waxes cold

and fades away like morning dew

 

There is a ship, she sails the sea

she's loaded deep as deep can be

but not as deep as the love I'm in

I know not how I sink or swim

 

The water is wide, I can't cross over

and neither I have wings to fly

give me a boat that can carry two

and both shall row - my love and I

and both shall row - my love and I

 

[Aquila calva]

See this series of postings from early July.

 

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=160666

 

[Gunny2862]

Try the tune to the Itsy bitsy spider, I don't know if it's right but it works.

[heartofbrightstar]

PLEASE don't sing it to "Itsy Bitsy Spider"! Horrors! This is a favorite song of Naish Staffers, we always sing it at the end of campfires during summer camp. I can't sing, but here is a midi file, so you can at least hear the tune.

http://songs-with-music.freeservers.com/paddle.html

[heartofbrightstar]

A hasty entry means a quick apology. I couldn't get the file posted earlier to work the first time, so I thought it was broken! Sorry about that! I can add that if you want to sing it as a round, the 2nd group comes in at "flashing like silver".

[theysawyoucomin']

Thank you.

The link did not work for me.

 

I guess "the land of the silver birch" is the same tune

[AnneinMpls]

No, Land of the Silver Birch goes:

Doot doo-doo doo-doo doot

Dooo doo-doo doo-doo

 

And The Paddle Song (which is so not the name of it! but anyway) it goes:

 

Doo-doo doo doo-doo-doo doo-doo doo doo-doo

 

HTH

Anne in Mpls

 

There's a blue sky why up yonder

There's a blue sky over my head!

There's a blue sky way up yonder

That's a cover for my bed!

 

And wherever I wander and wherever I roam

There's a blue sky way up yonder

that's callin me home!