ACA Home Forums Does Princess Pat have a treehouse or an army?

Here's how the lyrics we sing go:
The Princess Pat lived in a tree
She sailed across the 7 seas
She sailed across the channel 2
And she took with her
a rigabamboo

CHORUS
A rigabamboo
now what is that?
it's something made
by the princess pat
It's red and gold
and purple too
That's why it's called a rigabamboo

Now captain jack had a mighty find crew
he sailed across the channel 2
but his ship sank and yours will too
if you don't take a rigabamboo

The princess pat saw captain jack
She reeled him in and brought him back
she saved his life and you can too
if you just take a rigabamboo

Whoa, that is like an absurd combination of "The Princess Pat" and "Tarzan"!


Tarzan, swingin from a rubber band.
Tarzan, got hit by a frying pan.
Now tarzan has a tan.
And I hope it don't peel.
Like a ba naaaaa na.

Jane, okay, I don't remember the rest of this song at all, but there's something about a plane and an amoeba and velveeta...

She lived in a tree

Tinkerbell:
Jane, cruisin in her airplane
Smacked into a traffic lane
Now Jane has a pain
And Tarzan has a tan, and he hope it doesn't peel, like a banana

Cheetah, a rockin to the beata
Got eaten alive by an amoeba
Now Cheetah is velveeta
And Jane has a pain... etc.

At all the camps I have worked at they used "tree." And I was told that "a rick of bamboo" is a raft type deal made of bamboo. I think that is why captin jack doesn't make it (no life raft)! interesting huh!

I like that amoeba thing, I learned it
choked on a fajita
both are pretty funny though!

I remember now:

Now Captain Kirk
He was no jerk
And Mr. Spock
He was no jock
But their ship flew
And yours can too
If you take
A rigabamboo!

So do we.

lived in a tree
we call it a "rigabamboo"
and we do this motion that's sorta indescribable... i suppose the twist is closest to describing it.

Princess Pat has never lived anywhere near me or at my camp because I have never heard of her.

Alys, when you twist, do your fingers wave in the air? I think you might do the same one my camp does.

the princess pat
first infantry
she sailed across
the deep blue sea

So who is Princess Pat anyway?

I have heard of the song but I only went to a camp where it was sung for one summer. I think they did it the infantry way and I don't think they did hand motions.

GSCounselor, that's it!


Hee hee I have never heard it choked on a fajita! That's kind of cute.

The Princess Patricia?s Canadian Light Infantry was organized in 1914, named after the Princess Patricia of Connaught (honorary colonial-in-Chief). Their flag was called the ?Rickadandoo? wand was gold, green and French Gray (which looks purplish). The ?Channel? is probably the english Channel. The members of the infantry are never called Pats, but Patricias. They were the ony Canadian unit to receive a U.S. Presidential citation during the Korean war. The citation is carried as a streamer on their flag (which they call ?colours?).

THE PRINCESS PAT
(Repeat after leader)
The Princess Pat*
Light infantry*
She sailed across*
The Seven Seas*
She sailed across*
The Channel too*
And brought with her*
The Rickadando*

Chorus:
The Rickadando *
Now what is that*
It?s something made*
By the Princess Pat*
It?s red and gold*
And purple too*
And that?s why it?s called*
The Rickadando*

Now Captain Jack*
Had a mighty fine crew*
He sailed across*
The Channel too*
But his ship sank*
And yours will too*
If you forget*
The Rickadando*
(repeat chorus)

The Princess Pat, saw Captain Jack,
She reeled him in, and brought him back,
She saved his life, and his crew's too,
And do you know how? - with the Rickadandoo.

the princess pat
repeat
lived in a tree
repeat
she sailed across the 7 seas
she sailed across the channel 2 and brought with her a rigabamboo
a rigabamboo
repeat
now what is what
its something maaaade by the princess pat
its red and gold and purple too
thats why its called
repeat
a rigabamboo
now captain jack
reapeat
had a mighty fine crew
repeat
he sailed across the channel 2
repeat
but his ship sank
and yours will too if you dont bring a rigabamboo
......and repeat again
i was always taught she lived in a tree!

on another annoying camp song u guys have heard

when i was 1 i broke my thumb the day i went to sea
i climbed aboard the pirate ship and the captain said to me
were going this way that forword backword over the irish sea a bottle of rum to warm my tum and thats the life for me nananananananana!

and countine with all the ages. oh and we say a bottle of coke to warm my throat cause no rum talk hehe

Princess Pat definitely lived in a tree!

Perhaps someone in The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Unit, currently stationed in Edmonton, AB, could respond to this discussion. Anyone know someone in this regiment??

Please see this website (http://dragon.sleepdeprived.ca/songbook/songs4/S4_17.htm)for this interesting tidbit:

The Princess Pat

Now here's an interesting story! One of the most popular Canadian Girl Guide echo songs is the famous "Princess Pat". But this song has a lot of history attached to it that most folks are completely unaware of. Did you know that the Princess Pat Light Infantry Unit is a part of the Canadian Armed Forces? Or that they have a long and honoured tradition within our military? Or that the song we Guides sing is actually a much modified version of their regimental marching song?

I am generally not much of a fan of "banning" the singing of certain songs. However in this case, and after you've read the story below, perhaps you'll change your mind about singing "The Princess Pat" at your next campfire. It is one of the few songs I no longer sing myself, out of respect. I, too, am an army brat.

Thanks very, very much to Kathy Pechmann, who supplied me with this piece of Canadian history.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Unit, currently stationed in Edmonton, AB, do NOT like us singing their song in either the corrupted or the correct version. Some of the real verses are not suitable for singing to our girls anyway - it's a soldiers' song, remember. They view this song about as kindly as we would a crazy parody of the World Song - and it does bear enough resemblance to the original that it is easily recognizable.

The problem with the song as we sing it is that we don't change it enough. The song is about their Regimental Colours (called "the Ric-A-Dam-Doo") which were actually handmade by Princess Patricia of Connaught herself, granddaughter to Queen Victoria, daughter of our (then) Governor General and Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment. It regales the exploits of the Regiment since it's inception.

The PPCLI is a regiment that was formed by private funding in 1914 to fight in WWI. They continue to this day to be an active regiment having won many battle honours and serving us both in war and in peace as part of Canada's peacekeeping forces. The Princess Pat's are on active duty at this moment. In fact, those four Canadians who were killed recently by US ?friendly fire? were members of the Princess Pat?s.

If you have ever known anyone in the military, you will know that the Honour of the Regiment is very dear to their heart - and is in fact essential in keeping the spirit in horrible situations that we could never imagine. Instead of just using the tune to write our own totally non-related words, which probably wouldn't bother them, we have taken the words of their story that they are very proud of (even though poking fun at themselves) and corrupted them until they have reached the level of a joke - most especially disgracing the Honour of the Ric-A-Dam-Doo by calling it a "Ricky Bamboo" and muddling up the colours. It is red, gold and royal blue by the way.

Imagine if somebody had taken the words and music to O Canada or God Save the Queen. A parody using the music only would be recognizable as simply that, no problem - but imagine if they actually kept most of the words and changed them just enough that it seemed as if they were making fun of our Queen and country (and us as well). How would it make you feel? For those of you in countries other than Canada, think of this in relation to your own special songs or proud regiments - imagine ?Hail to the Thief? for example.

Would you do it to these songs and then shrug off those who are offended by it? No, but we do it to the PPCLI on a regular basis. These are men who were responsible for fighting for our freedom and peace, surely we can treat them with a little more respect. We owe them better. Since its creation in 1914, the PPCLI has been continuously in the order of battle of the regular Canadian Army, and verses have been added to the song to match each phase of that long career. The version below represents the song as it would have been sung circa WWII. I don't have any of the more modern verses, but these are the ones that are corrupted for the version that the Guides tend to sing.

I won?t apologize for its political incorrectness because of the time and circumstance of the writing of the song. That is the way things were for them then - and anyway, we don?t seem to care about our own political incorrectness in singing it.

The Ric-A-Dam-Doo
(aka the Princess Pats)

The Princess Pat's Battalion
They sailed across the Herring Pond,
They sailed across the Channel too,
And landed there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

The Princess Pat's Battalion Scouts
They never knew their whereabouts.
If there's a pub within a mile or two,
You'll find them there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

The Lewis Guns are always true
To every call of the Ric-A-Dam-Doo.
They're always there with a burst or two
Whenever they see the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

The Bombers of the Princess Pat's
Are scared of naught, excepting rats,
They're full of pep and dynamite too,
They'd never lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

The Transport of the Princess Pat's
Are all dressed up in Stetson hats.
They shine their brass and limbers too
I believe they'd shine the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

Old Number Three, our company
We must fall in ten times a day.
If we fell out 'twould never do
For then we?d lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

Old Charlie S., our Major dear,
Who always buys us rum and beer,
If there's a trench in a mile or two
You'll find him there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

Old Ackity-Ack, our Colonel grand,
The leader of this noble band,
He'd go to Hell and charge right through
Before he'd lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

Old Hammy Gault, our first PP,
He led this band across the sea,
He'd lose an arm, or leg or two
Before he'd lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

And then we came to Sicily.
We leapt ashore with vim and glee.
The Colonel said the Wops are through
Let's chase the Hun with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

The Ric-A-Dam-Doo, pray what is that?
'Twas made at home by Princess Pat,
It's Red and Gold and Royal Blue,
That's what we call the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
Notes:

The Herring Pond is the Atlantic Ocean
The Channel is the English Channel
Bombers are Grenade Throwers
Scouts are used for reconnaissance and information-gathering behind enemy lines
A Lewis Gun is a light machine gun
The Transport Troops wear Stetsons because the wagons were horse-drawn in WWI
Charlie S. is Major Charles Stewart who commanded No 3 Company on 1916
Ackity-Ack refers to Lieutenant-Colonel A.S.A.M. Adamson, the regiment?s commanding officer during the Battle for Vimy Ridge.
Hammy Gault is Hamilton Gault of Montreal who created the regiment, and equipped it at his own expense, for overseas service during WWI.
While the words themselves are of a humorous reference to various aspects of the Regiment (that is their prerogative), one can still hear the pride and protection for the Ric-A-Dam-Doo. As in any family, they are allowed to make fun of their own members - but heaven help the outsider who does the same. If people like the tune, the best idea would be to write their own song to fit (and many songs do use that tune) but remove any and all references that would link it to the actual Ric-A-Dam-Doo version. That way, everyone would be happy and we could have a win-win with no offence to anyone.

The closest tune (but not exact) is similar to (if you know it): "The other day, I saw a bear..." As you can see, it is close enough to the original in essence that we have corrupted their song rather than just use the tune for our own invented song. The thing is, it is their song and they are offended by us singing it the way we do, so who are we to say to them that it doesn't matter? It does.

A long time ago before I went to camp and learned the song (tree and 7 seas). I had been told it was banned. Don't ask me by who but it came through my guiding. And after reading the explanation I can kinda see why.
Anyway, I'll go back to lurking.
Selkie

I think the history behind the Princess Pat is interesting... but I also find it interesting that so many camp songs are actually parodies of "real" songs (God Bless my Underwear?), making fun of some serious event (the Titanic song?), or are just culturally insensitive (Running Bear?).

lmao...this is a pretty funny post...at my camp the princess pat is sung as:

The Princess pat
Lay infantry

but that sounds kinda like lives in a tree or light infantry, Ive actually looked up something at one point in time and the princess pat was sung as a kinda tribute reminder to an actual army or smthing but I dont think it matters...what the heck...she can live in a tree or have an army or w/e she wants...its all in the fun of the song!

Our Princess Pat lived in a tree... though there's a small group who always tries to make it "light infantry"! And we say it "Rigabamboo".

our senior boys (those rebels) also like saying the PS2 instead of the rickabamboo