The Tree Toad

We have gotten some of our most enjoyable "kid favorites" from around the campfire. Paul says that even his old brain still remembers many of the songs he sang in the Boy Scouts at old Camp Oyo in southern Ohio. Like many such songs, "The Tree Toad" is an adaptation of a famous song - in this case, "Auld Lang Syne." It is a tongue-in-cheek tongue twister. What fun!

To make this arrangement extra special, we have created a setting that states the song twice, once slow and fairly lush, with strings and a harmonica solo in the intro and as a countermelody. After a pause the song is stated again a bit faster. The fast verse has an intro and ending wonderfully executed by our guitarist extraordinaire Sandy Williams. He plays a fast soli consisting of several acoustic guitars and mandolin.

For performing it, have your singers pose in a very proper manner, hands clasped, for the first verse. For the faster verse, have them hunch forward and look tense. It is acceptable to wipe the brow when it's over... well, if it is done correctly. Or mostly correctly.

And if your singers are getting very confident about it, surprise them with a whole other set of lyrics!

Try these:

On Mules We Find Two Legs Behind

and Two We Find Before;

We Stand Behind Before We Find

What the Two Behind Be For.

When We're Behind the Two Behind

We Find What These Be For;

So Stand Before the Two Behind

and Behind the Two Before.