A self-satirical train wreck that you can witness word by word...
And for those who doubt my son Armand Bovoso, indeed he is part Black. I'm Black and Italian. Armand is Black, italian, and Ukranian Jewish. Send me an email if you can't accept this.
And for those who doubt my son Armand Bovoso, indeed he is part Black. I'm Black and Italian. Armand is Black, italian, and Ukranian Jewish. Send me an email if you can't accept this.
I went to Lenox Hill summer camp when I was a child. For four consecutive summers (grades 4-6) I was sent away for 3 weeks at a time to Litchfield, Connecticut where Camp Lenox Hill convened. Lenox Hill was quite the experience. Most of the camp's counselors were 18-21 year olds from the barrios of Manhattan. Here is my exchange with the first camp counselor who sat me down as we waited for the bus to take us to Connecticut. Keep in mind that I am 9 years old.
Counselor: What's your name?
Me: Sandro
Counselor: My name is Carlos. Fuck to the east, fuck to the west, fuck with me and your fucking with the best.
So with that tone set camp Lenox Hill had officially begun for me. Now the camp was this strange mixture of street kids, slightly rich kids, and the bohemian kids from Tribeca/Soho/Greenwhich Village. It was incredibly, what they call these days, multi cultural. We learned many songs that were Lenox Hill staples. My favorite being a cadence we would sing on marches or even in the cafeteria during dinner.
My left! My left! My left, right, left!
My back is achin'
My belt's too tight
My booty is shakin' from left to right
Abba Dabba
Soda Craka
Evolution
Revolution
Eat the back of my butt! Uh!
Eat the back of my butt! Uh!
Eat the back of my! Eat the back of my! Eat the back of my butt! Uh!
Very fun song to sing by the way. All you had to do to start it was utter the first sentence out loud and the entire group or cafeteria would join in. My last year there the PC police must have paid a visit because they banned the song during eating ours.
Other favorites included substituted verses for the lyrics to the song Rockin' Robin. These weren't sung at the dinner table but were sung outside waiting to get into the cafeteria.
Rockin' Robin, tweet tweet tweet
Old king kong, old king kong
Old king kong had a rubber ding dong
Rockin' Robin, tweet tweet tweet
Grand ma, Grand Ma sick in bed
Called the doctor and the doctor said
Grand ma Grand Ma you ain't sick
All you need is Grand Pa's dick
Rockin' Robin, tweet tweet tweet
Mama's in the kitchen cookin rice
Papa in the living room shootin dice
Brother's in jail. Going to hell.
Sister's on the corner sayin Pussy for Sale.
Rockin' Robin was usually done with those intricate clapping games that girls are want to make up.
We also had a version of Mocking Bird that we called Hanbone. This wasn't sung at the calm pace of the lullaby. It had the cadence of a step show song.
Hanbone Hanbone have you heard?
Papa's gonna buy me a mocking bird
If the mocking bird don't sing
Papa's gonna buy me a diamond ring
If that diamond ring don't shine
Papa's gonna buy me a bottle of wine
If that bottle of wine turns old
Papa's gonna buy me a nanny goat
If that nanny goat hits me
Papa's gonna beat my B-U-T
If my B-U-T turn sore
Papa's gonna take me to the store
If that store man tells a lie
Papa's gonna punch him in the eye
If that eye turns black and blue
Papa's gonna punch him in the other one too
Hanbone walk!
Hanbone talk!
Hanbone eatin' with a shovel and a fork!
Hanbone!
In stark contrast we also had just as many pre-approved Judeo-Christian songs that we also sang for grace or for the hell of it. I'll save those for my next posting about Lenox Hill Camp.
Counselor: What's your name?
Me: Sandro
Counselor: My name is Carlos. Fuck to the east, fuck to the west, fuck with me and your fucking with the best.
So with that tone set camp Lenox Hill had officially begun for me. Now the camp was this strange mixture of street kids, slightly rich kids, and the bohemian kids from Tribeca/Soho/Greenwhich Village. It was incredibly, what they call these days, multi cultural. We learned many songs that were Lenox Hill staples. My favorite being a cadence we would sing on marches or even in the cafeteria during dinner.
My left! My left! My left, right, left!
My back is achin'
My belt's too tight
My booty is shakin' from left to right
Abba Dabba
Soda Craka
Evolution
Revolution
Eat the back of my butt! Uh!
Eat the back of my butt! Uh!
Eat the back of my! Eat the back of my! Eat the back of my butt! Uh!
Very fun song to sing by the way. All you had to do to start it was utter the first sentence out loud and the entire group or cafeteria would join in. My last year there the PC police must have paid a visit because they banned the song during eating ours.
Other favorites included substituted verses for the lyrics to the song Rockin' Robin. These weren't sung at the dinner table but were sung outside waiting to get into the cafeteria.
Rockin' Robin, tweet tweet tweet
Old king kong, old king kong
Old king kong had a rubber ding dong
Rockin' Robin, tweet tweet tweet
Grand ma, Grand Ma sick in bed
Called the doctor and the doctor said
Grand ma Grand Ma you ain't sick
All you need is Grand Pa's dick
Rockin' Robin, tweet tweet tweet
Mama's in the kitchen cookin rice
Papa in the living room shootin dice
Brother's in jail. Going to hell.
Sister's on the corner sayin Pussy for Sale.
Rockin' Robin was usually done with those intricate clapping games that girls are want to make up.
We also had a version of Mocking Bird that we called Hanbone. This wasn't sung at the calm pace of the lullaby. It had the cadence of a step show song.
Hanbone Hanbone have you heard?
Papa's gonna buy me a mocking bird
If the mocking bird don't sing
Papa's gonna buy me a diamond ring
If that diamond ring don't shine
Papa's gonna buy me a bottle of wine
If that bottle of wine turns old
Papa's gonna buy me a nanny goat
If that nanny goat hits me
Papa's gonna beat my B-U-T
If my B-U-T turn sore
Papa's gonna take me to the store
If that store man tells a lie
Papa's gonna punch him in the eye
If that eye turns black and blue
Papa's gonna punch him in the other one too
Hanbone walk!
Hanbone talk!
Hanbone eatin' with a shovel and a fork!
Hanbone!
In stark contrast we also had just as many pre-approved Judeo-Christian songs that we also sang for grace or for the hell of it. I'll save those for my next posting about Lenox Hill Camp.
Hey Man,
I'm BEn, son of Walt, "the director", Thompson.
Those songs brought back so man memories....do you remember this little call and response number?
Oh you knuckle-head!
Oh you knuckle-head!
Walking down the avenue,
All the chicks are digging you!
Do you know what to do?
Lean back, Digga-mack, and strut your stuff!
Sardines!
Hey!
And pork and beans!
Hey!
Sardines on my plate and I don't need no steak.
I went to the market, and what did I see?
Peanut, Peanut Butter!
Hey! Hey!
I love PeanutButter,
You love Peanut Butter
Hey, hey,
hey.
I might have forgotton some of the middle and it doesn't have the ring of "eat the back of my butt" , which was everyones real favorite. Hope to hear more from you about lenox hill!
ben
Ben! My goodness. I posted this over a year ago. The right people finally found it!
More lines
I put it in my mouth and it stuck to my teeth!
Penut! Penut Butter! hey! hey!
I like penut butter! You like penut butter!
Crunchy penut butter!
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Write me some time! aledro@mac.com
Hey man -
I never went to the camp as a camper, but Liz Thompson (Ben's sister and Walt's daughter) is my wife!
I sent her this post because I came across it Googling Lenox Hill - looking for a post I saw a few months back by Hooker. Funny though, I was already aware of the 'Eat the back of my butt' song and some of the others just thru late night conversations! She has some fond memories of those times.
Keep up the Lenox Hill posts! Classic......
Don't know if you still check this? I went to camp for 4 years. I remember the hierarchy of the cabins, being in 5-6 was like being a senior. And the tetherball court outside the cabins. I recall my counselor was Tim and he had empty cans of Skoal stacked up by his bunk. I also remember the dungeons and dragons club and the lake by the chow hall. I vaguely remember plAying with an earth ball in a big field too. Thanks for bringing back so many fond memories, hadn't thought about that in a long time.