Barges
There are several versions of this song, but at camp we always sang the original version. It was a popular song to round out the evening before bed… slow and quiet and wouldn’t get the girls all riled up. It’s sung in a flowing manner.
Out of my window looking in the night,
I can see the barges’ flickering light.
Silently flows the river to the sea,
And the barges too go silently.Barges, I would like to go with you,
I would like to sail the ocean blue,
Barges, have you treasures in hold?
Do you fight with pirates brave and bold?Out of my window looking in the night,
I can see the barges’ flickering light,
Starboard shines green and port is glowing red,
You can see them flickering far ahead.Barges, I would like to go with you,
I would like to sail the ocean blue,
Barges, have you treasures in hold?
Do you fight with pirates brave and bold?
Buy the Sangam Songbook here for full sheet music.
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- Moon on the Meadow | Girl Scout Guide - […] often end our closing all-camp campfire with slow songs. Some of my favorites were Linger, Barges, and this one,…
Oh I absolutely ADORED this song! It’s one of the ones that I still remember all the words to, even so many years later. Thanks for sharing this magnificent memory.
I agree… one of my favorites as well!
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When I first learned this song, we were taught a 5 verse version of the song, and we learned a bit of the song’s past. The young girl who wrote this song had gotten very very sick, I don’t recall what she had, but she lost all use of her body hips down. Her parents built a huge window in her room overlooking the river. She would watch the barges every night, which was what inspired her to write the song. It’s a very sad song for me, and the version I learned, on the end of the second verse instead of saying, “You can see them flickering far ahead”it was, “I can see the barges from my bed.” it had slight variations throughout the song like that.
Very cool to know the history but yes, a bit more depressing for sure!