Wolfgang, Is this what young German kids are singing these days? Mother Mary, there's songs about transvestites (Walk on the Wild Side & Lola) drug related songs (Cocaine & Needle and the damage done) and songs with explicit sexual lyrics (Honkytonk Woman).

I wonder if they understand English?

I'm always a sucker for a camp fire and always have my guitar ready just in case. My favourites when I was younger were the Monkeys- here we come, that song from the Jungle book, you know the one sung by the Orangatan - I'm the king of the Jungle... My Dad taught me a song once but I've long since forgotten it - it went something like "Aba daba daba daba daba daba dab, said the Monkey to the Chimp" Anyone know it? It was sung in a film by Debbie Reynolds (I think).

When we were very young (6 - 12) my sisters, my cousins and I used to put on shows for my parents, Grandparents and relatives. We used to do themes like orphan Annie, making up our own songs or singing any song we knew vaguely. One time my Dad overheard us rehersing and came into the room in fits of hysterics. He told us, between giggles, that the song we were doing wouldn't be suitable for our Grandparents. It was a song we had learnt off the TV comedy programme "Not the Nine O'Clock News" and the chorus went "I like trucking, I like trucking, I like trucking and I like to truck". We were totally innocent of the implications of the lyrics.

So I guess German kids aren't the only ones being subjected to raunchy lyrics.

Putting on our own shows when we were kids was excellent fun. We would all get our own bit to do as well as singing in harmony. We acted a bit, we even did our own made-up adverts in the interval! We would dress up and set up a stage with spotlights on us so that it really was like producing our own show. As far as our parents were concerned, it kept us quiet and occupied, although there were always arguments as to who got the lead role etc.

ah - those were the days!

Laoise.