Here are a few of our favourite Alders campfire songs. Have a song to add? Email us the lyrics.

Looking for a songbook? We recommend Rise up Singing.

• One Tin Soldier
• Waltzing with Bears
• The Chocolate Song
• The Sloop John B.
• Leaving on a Jet Plane
• Puff the Magic Dragon
• King of the Road
• Four Strong Winds
• Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

One Tin Soldier
(The Legend of Billy Jack)
words and music by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter
Copyright © 1969 by ABC / Dunhill Music, Inc.

Listen children to a story that was written long ago
'bout a kingdom on a mountain and the valley folk below.
On the mountain was a treasure buried deep beneath a stone,
and the valley people swore they'd have it for their very own.

Chorus:
Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of heaven, justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowin' come the judgment day
on the bloody morning after one tin soldier rides away.

So the people of the valley sent a message up the hill
asking for the buried treasure, tons of gold for which they'd kill.
Came an answer from the kingdom: "With our brothers we will share
all the secrets of our mountain, all the riches buried there."

(CHORUS)

Now the valley cried with anger; mount your horses, draw your sword,
and they killed the mountain people, so they won their just reward.
Now they stood beside the treasure on the mountain, dark and red,
turned the stone and looked beneath it. "Peace on earth" was all it said.

(CHORUS)

I went to his room in the middle of the night,
I crept to his side and I turned on the light.
And to my surprise he was nowhere in sight,
Cause my Uncle Walter goes waltzing at night!

Chorus:
He goes wa-wa wa-wa wa-wa-waltzing with bears,
Raggy bears, baggy bears, shaggy bears, too.
There's nothing on earth Uncle Walter won't do
So he can go waltzing, wa-wa-wa- waltzing,
So he can go waltzing, go waltzing with bears!

We bought Uncle Walter a new coat to wear;
But when he came home it was covered with hair.
And lately I've noticed several new tears;
I'm sure Uncle Walter's been waltzing with bears!

(CHORUS)

We told Uncle Walter that he should be good,
And do all the things that we said that he should
But I know he would rather be off in the woods,
I'm afraid we might lose Uncle Walter for good.

(CHORUS)

We begged and we pleaded, "Oh please won't you stay?"
And we managed to keep him at home for a day.
But the bears all barged in and they took him away.
Now he's dancing with pandas and he won't understand us;
And the bears all demand at least one dance a day.

(CHORUS)

Last night when the moon rose we crept down the stairs
And he took me to dance where the bears have their lair.
We danced in a bear hug with nary a care.
And it all feels like flying, there's just no denying,
And now my pajamas are covered with hair!

(CHORUS X2)

I love CHOCOLATE, I love you...
Hope you'll never prove untrue!
But I'll have CHOCOLATE if you do...
I can count on CHOCOLATE!!!

Father never seemed to make
Enough to feed his children steak
But Mom churned out that CHOCOLATE cake
CHOCOLATE made my childhood!!

Chorus:
I love CHOCOLATE, I love you...
Hope you'll never prove untrue!
But I'll have CHOCOLATE if you do...
I can count on CHOCOLATE!!!

CHOCOLATE is so action-packed
Makes some children hyperact
But too much speed is what I lack
Grown-ups need more CHOCOLATE!!

(CHORUS)

Dogs love CHOCOLATE, don't know why
Speeds their hearts up 'til they die
Vet bills gonna make you cry
Don't let dogs have CHOCOLATE!!

(CHORUS)

Some say growing old's the pits
Balding heads and sagging... hips
But CHOCOLATE doesn't give you zits
I'll trade my youth for CHOCOLATE!!

(CHORUS)

If your waistband's getting tight
And dieting is such a fright
You can curb your appetite
Precede each meal with CHOCOLATE!

(CHORUS)
Beligum is a damn fine place
They make CHOCOLATE by the case
So let the whole damn human race
Sing the praise of CHOCOLATE!

(Chorus)

How'd you know that Easter's here?
CHOCOLATE bunnies do appear
If Easter happened twice a year
We could have MORE CHOCOLATE!!

(Chorus x 2)

We came on the sloop John B
My grandfather and me
Around Nassau town we did roam
Drinking all night
Got into a fight
Well I feel so broke up I want to go home

Chorus:
So hoist up the John B's sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the Captain ashore
Let me go home
Let me go home
I wanna go home, (yeah yeah)
Well I feel so broke up I wanna go home

The first mate he got drunk
And broke in the Cap'n's trunk
The constable had to come and take him away
Sheriff John Stone
Why don't you leave me alone, (yeah yeah)
Well I feel so broke up I wanna go home

(CHORUS)

The poor cook he caught the fits
And threw away all my grits
And then he took and he ate up all of my corn
Let me go home
Why don't they let me go home?
This is the worst trip I've ever been on!

(CHORUS X 2)

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go,
I'm standing here outside the door,
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye.
But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn',
The Taxi's waitin', he's blown his horn.
Already I'm so lonesome I could die.

Chorus:
So kiss me and smile for me,
Tell me that you'll wait for me,
Hold me like you never let me go.
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane,
Don't know when I'll be back again.
Oh babe, I hate to go.

There's so many times I've let you down,
So many times I've played around,
I tell you now they don't mean a thing.
Ev'ry place I go I'll think of you
Ev'ry song I sing I sing for you.
When I come back I'll bring your wedding ring.

(CHORUS)

Now the time has come to leave you,
One more time let me kiss you,
Then close your eyes, I'll be on my way.
Dream about the days to come,
When I won't have to leave alone,
About the times I won't have to say...

(CHORUS)

Puff the Magic Dragon
Lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist
In a land called Honahlee.

Little Jackie Paper
Loved that rascal Puff
And brought him string and sealing wax
And other fancy stuff.

Chorus:
Oh!
Puff the Magic Dragon
Lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist
In a land called Honahlee!

Puff the Magic Dragon
Lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist
In a land called Honahlee!

Together they would travel
On a boat with billowed sails
Jackie kept a look out
Perched on Puff's gigantic tail
Noble kings and princes
Would bow when e're They came,
And pirate ships would low'r their Flag
When Puff roared out his name!

(CHORUS)

A dragon lives forever
But not so little boys
Painted wings and giant rings
Make way For other toys.

One grey night it happened
Jackie Paper came no more
And Puff that mighty dragon
He ceased his fearless roar!

(CHORUS)

His head was bent in sorrow
Green scales fell like rain
Puff no longer went to play
Along the cherry lane.

Without his life-long friend
Puff could not be brave
So Puff that mighty dragon
Sadly slipped into his cave...

(CHORUS)

Trailer for sale or rent
Rooms to let fifty cents
No phone
No pool
No pets
I ain't got no cigarettes..

Ah
But two hours of pushin' broom
Buys and eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means...

King of the road.

Third boxcar midnight train
Destination Bangor, Maine

Old worn out suit and shoes
I don't pay no union dues

I smoke old stogies I have found
Short but not too big around

I'm a man of means by no means...

King of the road

I know every engineer
On every train

All the children
And all of their names

And every handout in every town
And every lock that ain't locked when no-one's around I sing...

Trailer for sale or rent
Rooms to let fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes

Trailer for sale or rent
Rooms to let fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes...

King of the road!

Four strong winds that blow lonely,
Seven seas that run high,
All those things that don't change come what may.
But our good times are all gone
And I'm bound for movin' on.
I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way.

Think I'll go out to Alberta; weather's good there in the fall,
Got some friends that I can go to workin' for.
But I wish you'd change your mind if I asked you one more time,
But we've been through that a hundred times or more.

Chorus:
Four strong winds that blow lonely,
Seven seas that run high,
All those things that don't change copme what may.
But our good times are all gone
And I'm bound for movin' on.
I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way.

If I get there 'fore the snow flies, and if things are lookin' good,
You can meet me if I send you down the fare.
But by then it would be winter, not too much for you to do,
And the wind sure blows cold way out there.

(Chorus)

How many roads must a man walk down
Before he's called a man?
How many seas must the white dove sail
Before he sleeps in the sand?
How many times must the cannon-balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed in the sea?
How many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
How many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many times can a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
How many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
And how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled,
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me."

Chorus:
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda,
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled,
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me."

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he stowed the jumbuck in his tucker-bag,
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me."

(Chorus)

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three.
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker-bag?"
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me."

(Chorus)

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong,
"You'll never take me alive," said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me."

(Chorus)

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?