Story Behind The Song

My son had just joined Cub Scouts. One of the den leaders heard that I played guitar and asked if I would play at the annual bonfire. Since I didn't know any campfire songs, I wrote one that somewhat approximates the temperment of my son as well as myself.

Song Description

Vignette of a child on a group camping trip, trying to persuade the others into calling it off.

Lyrics

refrain:
We like to camp in the forest
we don't take no showers or baths
we eat grubs and berries and sometimes tree bark
we hike down the briar-filled paths
there's ticks and snakes, grizzly bears goodness sakes
but nothing will scare us away
cuz we like to camp in the forest
yeah, we're tough, we like it that way

but just between you and me fellas
I wish we had macaroni and cheese
some microwave popcorn and a frosty root beer
and some crispy french fries, if you please
well I won't tattle if you don't
but I brought us along a cell phone
whoever calls first gets the biggest bratwurst
and then we can all go home

(refrain)

there's smoke in my eyes, there's ants in my pants
there's worms and creepy crawlies galore
there's a wild giraffe too, he's escaped from the zoo
and he wants a big bite of my s'more
there's hedgehogs and beavers and badgers and bats
there's big hairy spiders spinnin' down fro the trees
something crawled cross my toes, a bug flew up my nose
can't you smell that skunk in the breeze

(refrain)