The Council Room

[Guest]

I'm sure all of us- the Freelands in particular - but really all of us, remember the various songs that at some point were collected into the songbook and sung at rainy day campfires and on other occasions. I'm thinking of Vive le Compagnie (or Com-pa-neye-a as we pronounced it) in particular.

At some point during my years at Wyanoke the song changed. The chorus line as I first learned it was "Vive le, vive le, vive l'amour," but seemingly from one moment to the next in the late 50's it became "Vive la, vive la, vive la va."

Did someone seriously think that the original chorus was somehow suggestive to young minds (such as they were), or had there been incidents of childish giggling that had to be suppressed, or did a parent complain?

This has always been one of camp's little mysteries to me, and I would appreciate being enlightened.

Pat Donovan
Midget Blue Color Captain

[Mike Freeland]

Hi Pat,

What a great question. I say that only because I had the exactly the same thoughts back when I was in camp, but in the opposite direction. Mark Gibson used to lead us in Vive la Compagnie in the Midget Chapel on rainy days, and we sang Vive la Va, Hop-sa-sa. It was only later that I heard Vive l'amour, and was resolute in my thinking that l'amour was just flat wrong, where the hell did they get that?. After all, we didn't sing it that way at camp. It still doesn't sound right to me.

I think you're right: Maybe it was changed in the song sheets for fear of us becoming aroused (regardless of the fact that most of us had no idea what l'amour meant). But the seniors probably did, and there lies your problem. Hop-sa-sa was much safer than vive l'amour.
_________________
'56-C-9 C. Mosher '57-C-9 Bill Feaster
'58-J-14 H. Peavy '59-J-11 G. Wood, C. Duncan
'60-S-8 R. Leavitt, D. Hemphill '61-S-1 E. Slocum
'62-JA-1 H. Dunbar '63-C-2 (JC)
'64-C-5, (JC) Councilor
'65-C-9 '66 - '72-J-8
'73-JA1 '75-J-6

[Jim Culleton]

What a great tune to have sung on a rainy day in the Boyden or Midget Chapels! I remember it well. A few of us did change the "Hop Sa Sa" to "Hot Cha Cha" a signature phrase used by the late comedian Jimmy Durante. We must have been late Juniors or Seniors at the time.

Does anyone remember singing "The Happy Wanderer" by Frank Weir and/or the Harry Simeone Chorale? Pat D. would remember us singing this one at Colonial School during the mid-late 50's.

I love to go a-wandering
Along the mountain track
And as I go, I love to sing
My knapsack on my back (interjection: Yep the 40 lbs. of rocks in preparation for the Presidential Range trip!)

Chorus
Val-deri, val-dera
Val-deri, val-dera,
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha
Val-dera
My knapsack on my back

I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun
So joyously it calls to me
Come join my happy song

Val-eri, val-dera
Val-deri, val-dera
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha
Val-era
Come join my happy song

I wave my hat to all I meet
And They wave back to me
And blackbirds call so loud and sweet
From ev'ry green wood tree

Val-eri, val-dera
Val-deri, val-dera
Val-deri, val-dera

Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die
Oh, may I always laugh and sing
Beneath God's clear blue sky

Val-eri, val-dera
Val-eri, val-dera
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha
val-dera
Beneath the clear blue sky

Beneath the clear blue sky
_________________
'56 - J-9 J. Moulton
'57 - J-11 J. Moulton
'58 - J-4 E. Web Dann, S. Hood
'59 - S-6 P. Leavitt
'60 - S-2 F. Avantaggio
'61 - JA-1 RK Irons
'62 - C-9 JC with P. Freeland
'63 - C-1 JC with S. Borger
'64 - C-6 Councilor

[Jim Culleton]

Enjoy!

Vive L'Amour
by someone

Let every good fellow, now join in our song,
Vive la compagnie!

Success to each other, and pass it along,
Vive la compagnie!

Chorus:
Vive la, vive la,
Vive l'amour.
Vive la, vive la,
Vive l'amour.
Vive l'amour, vive l'amour,
Vive la compagnie!!

A friend on your left, and a friend on your right,
Vive la compagnie!
In love and good fellowship, let us unite,
Vive la compagnie!

Repeat chorus

Now wider and wider, our circle expands,
Vive la compagnie!
We'll sing to our comrades, in far away lands
Vive la compagnie!

Repeat chorus

With friends all around us, we'll sing out our song
Vive la compagnie!
We'll banish our troubles, it won't take us long
Vive la compagnie!

Repeat chorus

Should time or occassion, compel us to part
Vive la compagnie!
These days shall forever, enliven our heart
Vive la compagnie!

Repeat chorus
_________________
'56 - J-9 J. Moulton
'57 - J-11 J. Moulton
'58 - J-4 E. Web Dann, S. Hood
'59 - S-6 P. Leavitt
'60 - S-2 F. Avantaggio
'61 - JA-1 RK Irons
'62 - C-9 JC with P. Freeland
'63 - C-1 JC with S. Borger
'64 - C-6 Councilor