Barges can be traced back to roughly the 1930s, when it began appearing in camp and youth organization songbooks, including Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Girls (now Camp Fire). After nearly a century, Barges continues to be a campfire and sentimental favorite generation after generation.
Over the decades, the origin of Barges has become the stuff of legends. The story we learned way back when (and in turn passed on to the next group of campers) was that the lyrics for Barges was written by a young girl who was dying of cancer. Inspired by the barges passing on a canal outside her window, she wrote the first two verses and the chorus before dying. The final verse was written, we were told, as a tribute after her death.
Barges’ melody is beautiful, and lends itself well to two or three part harmony.
Barges
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
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E
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F#
Out of my window
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C#
D
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E
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F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
looking in the
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E
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F#
G
G#
A
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B
C
C#
night
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G#
A
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B
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C#
D
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E
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F#
see the
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C#
D
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E
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F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
barges
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G#
A
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B
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C#
D
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E
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F#
flickering
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C#
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E
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G#
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A#
B
water to the
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E
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G#
A
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B
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C#
sea
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G#
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B
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D
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E
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barges
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C#
D
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E
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G
G#
A
A#
B
too
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E
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B
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flow
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G#
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B
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C#
D
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F#
silently.
CHORUS
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G#
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B
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C#
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Barges, I would
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C#
D
D#
E
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F#
G
G#
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A#
B
like to go with
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D#
E
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F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
you
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G#
A
A#
B
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C#
D
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E
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F#
like to
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C#
D
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E
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F#
G
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A
A#
B
sail the
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G#
A
A#
B
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C#
D
D#
E
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F#
ocean
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G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
Barges have you
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
treasure in your
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D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
hold
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G#
A
A#
B
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C#
D
D#
E
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F#
fight with
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C#
D
D#
E
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F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
pirates
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G#
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A#
B
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F#
brave and bold?
Out of my window looking through the night
I can see the barges flickering light
Starboard shines green and port is glowing red
You can see their signals far ahead.
Barges, I would like to go with you
I would like to sail the ocean blue.
Barges have you treasure in your hold
Do you fight with pirates brave and bold?
How my heart longs to sail away with you
I would like to sail the ocean blue.
But I must stay here by my window drear
As the barges sail away from here.
Barges, I would like to go with you
I would like to sail the ocean blue.
Barges have you treasure in your hold
Do you fight with pirates brave and bold?
Sources:
- Namanu Singing Trails [Portland Area Council of Camp Fire Girls]; 1970
- Namanu Singing Trails [Portland Area Council of Camp Fire]; 1988
- Namanu Singing Trails [Camp Fire USA Portland Metro Council]; 2002
- Namanu Singing Trails [Camp Fire USA Portland Metro Council]; 2003
