Walt Kelly’s comic strip featured Pogo, the possum, and other characters from Okefenokee Swamp.

I grew up with this comic strip; it started in 1949 (the year I was born) and continued throughout my childhood. Pogo, Peanuts, and Mad Magazine…what a combo. My mom had every Pogo book ever published, I think.

Okay, what could we do at a square dance? Buddy Weaver released a version of “Deck the Halls” this year; one could do it today using the words for “Deck Us All With Boston Charlie”.

There’s always “Swamp Thing” for patter, and Hanhurst lists a couple of records with possum in the title.

And then there’s old time patter:

Chicken on a fence and possum on a rail
Take your honey and away you sail.

Raccoon’s tail got a ring around;
Possum’s tail is bare;
Rabbit ain’t got no tail at all,
Just a little old hunk of hair

Tree songs? There’s a patter record on Chicago Country called “Tree Huggin'”. For singers, there’s “Home Among the Gum Trees”, “Lemon Tree”, “Just a Lemon Tree”, “Pine Tree”, “Sweetheart Tree”, and “Tall, Tall Trees”. If you search Hanhurst for trees, you’ll get an amazing number of “street” songs.

The Puckle gun was a British flintlock machinegun invented by James Puckle in 1718. It took a nine-round revolving block, was mounted on a tripod and was designed to be portable and especially to prevent an enemy boarding a ship. An unusual feature was that it fired square bullets.

Good day to workshop Crossfire.

Bartholomew Gosnold, an English explorer, visited the Cape in 1602 and named it for the abundant fish found in surrounding waters.

Good day for using the singing call “Old Cape Cod”. The song was originally done by Patti Page, and redone by Bette Midler (and probably many others).

How about doing the first singing call that you ever performed in public? Or the first square dance music you ever bought?

A&M Records released Close to You, the Carpenters second album. The title song became the first of six consecutive million sellers by Karen & Richard and led to a Best New Artist Grammy for the duo

Shakedown has a singing call version of Close To You (available as an MP3 only).

Musical “Annie Get Your Gun” starring Ethel Merman premieres in NYC. It ran for 1147 performances.

I don’t think any of the songs from this musical have been made as singing calls. However, one could play with the idea from the song “Anything You Can Do” and do a boys/girls rivalry tip.

ANNIE OAKLEY FRANK BUTLER:
Anything you can do,
I can do better.
I can do anything
Better than you.

No, you can’t.
Yes, I can. No, you can’t.
Yes, I can. No, you can’t.
Yes, I can,
Yes, I can!

Anything you can be
I can be greater.
Sooner or later,
I’m greater than you.

No, you’re not. Yes, I am.
No, you’re not. Yes, I am.
No, you’re NOT!. Yes, I am.
Yes, I am!

I can shoot a partridge
With a single cartridge.
I can get a sparrow
With a bow and arrow.
I can live on bread and cheese.
And only on that?
Yes.
So can a rat!
Any note you can reach
I can go higher.
I can sing anything
Higher than you.
No, you can’t. (High)
Yes, I can. (Higher) No, you can’t. (Higher)
Yes, I can. (Higher) No, you can’t. (Higher)
Yes, I can. (Higher) No, you can’t. (Higher)
Yes, I can. (Higher) No, you can’t. (Higher)
Yes, I CAN! (Highest)

Anything you can buy
I can buy cheaper.
I can buy anything
Cheaper than you.

Fifty cents?
Forty cents! Thirty cents?
Twenty cents! No, you can’t!
Yes, I can,
Yes, I can!
Anything you can say
I can say softer.
I can say anything
Softer than you.
No, you can’t. (Softly)
Yes, I can. (Softer) No, you can’t. (Softer)
Yes, I can. (Softer) No, you can’t. (Softer)
Yes, I can. (Softer)
YES, I CAN! (Full volume)
I can drink my liquor
Faster than a flicker.
I can drink it quicker
And get even sicker!
I can open any safe.
Without bein’ caught?
Sure.
That’s what I thought–
you crook!
Any note you can hold
I can hold longer.
I can hold any note
Longer than you.

No, you can’t.
Yes, I can No, you can’t.
Yes, I can No, you can’t.
Yes, I can
Yes, I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I No, you C-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-N’T–
CA-A-A-A-N! (Cough, cough!)
Yes, you ca-a-a-an!

Anything you can wear
I can wear better.
In what you wear
I’d look better than you.
In my coat?
In your vest! In my shoes?
In your hat! No, you can’t!
Yes, I can
Yes, I CAN!
Anything you say
I can say faster.
I can say anything
Faster than you.
No, you can’t. (Fast)
Yes, I can. (Faster) No, you can’t. (Faster)
Yes, I can. (Faster) Noyoucan’t. (Faster)
YesIcan! (Fastest)
I can jump a hurdle.
I can wear a girdle.
I can knit a sweater.
I can fill it better!
I can do most anything!
Can you bake a pie? No.
Neither can I.
Anything you can sing
I can sing sweeter.
I can sing anything
Sweeter than you.
No, you can’t. (Sweetly)
Yes, I can. (Sweeter) No, you can’t. (Sweeter)
Yes, I can. (Sweeter) No, you can’t. (Sweeter)
Yes, I can. (Sweeter) No, you can’t, can’t, can’t (sweeter)
Yes, I can, can, can (Sugary)

Yes, I can! No, you can’