During our family’s Fall Break getaway to Tennessee, we spent a day at Dollywood.
It is a very clean, organized, wholesome venue that works especially well for family members who love rollercoasters. I no longer include myself in that subset of the family, but I did enjoy very much the enthusiasm of those who were captivated by Dolly Parton’s rollercoaster heaven.
Dollywood, of course, reflects Parton’s connection to music, especially music that falls into the “country,” “gospel” and “folk” categories. Ever-present music piped in through hidden speakers is a Big Tech part of the experience, but also available were several opportunities to hear live musicians. All of them were flawlessly amazing, as you would expect.
At one point a banjo, guitar and bass group started an old church song, “Leaning On The Everlasting Arms.” Our ears perked up. Becky and I knew that one from our childhood years. What went through my mind was, “We should be doing this song. It would be good to do the next time we are asked to do special music.” Becky’s thoughts were similar.
I also was thinking ahead to a special campfire get together at a church camp in Brown County. It was scheduled for about a week after we got home from vacation. I had been asked to play my guitar as campers sang old tunes around the campfire. That song would fit well in such a gathering. I wondered, though: “It’s been a while since I have done a campfire singalong. What are some songs I might do?”
I figured I needed songs that everyone would know, songs with a repetitive chorus, and song that were easy to sing. The pastor said it would be fine to sing secular songs as well as “church” songs, so I went with that. I searched my memory banks for workable song titles. I pictured some old Pete Seeger/Kingston Trio LPs from the early ’60s, the ones from my parent’s collections which I grew up listening to.
I considered other songs with a similar folky feel. Maybe I could do some acoustic stuff from the Beatles and John Denver. I knew who would likely be at the campfire; church people who would have grown up with similar early musical experiences. I soon compiled a list of sorts, although had the pastor not made a joke during that morning’s sermon, I would not have included “Kumbaya” on my list. “I think these songs will work,” I thought. “I can read the room … er, the campfire crowd.”
Sunday came and Becky and I drove to the campsite to meet up with Mike, a banjo player from our congregation who agreed to play along for this event. Becky was making sure things were ready to go and preparing to sing some songs with me. As always, she is my valuable musical partner—although any musical crimes I commit should not be laid on her.
Other campers started showing up carrying covered dishes and toting chairs. A good fire got roaring and hot dogs were fixed onto the roasting forks. Soon we were sitting in a circle around the flames with plates of food on our laps. We finished up, and then it was time to sing some campfire songs.
Right off the bat, someone requested we do “Wabash Cannonball.” Well, I am familiar with the tune and the chords seem pretty intuitive, but I am never sure of song lyrics. Then I had an idea. I pulled out my phone and found the lyrics to the old country classic. Becky came up and held my phone and scrolled the lyrics while I sang. I got through the first verse but at the second verse, an ad popped up and I got lost. So I started making up words. Still, Banjo Mike and I finished up the song as if we had been playing it for years.
It’s funny. I was picturing this primitive church picnic campfire hootenanny as a throwback to simpler times. It turns out It took Big Tech’s help to get the ball rolling.
Norman Knight, a retired Clark-Pleasant Middle School teacher, writes this weekly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
