Songs to Celebrate Henry W. Coe State Park and its inhabitants

By staff and volunteers, past and present

Coe Park Round sung to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Coe, Coe, Coe, Coe Park East of Morgan Hill Hiking, camping, biking, riding Coe Park is ideal! (Repeat in rounds until exhausted)

Decomposed by Lee Dittmann

Coe Park Anthem sung to the tune of Red River Valley
	To Coe Park you say you are going To take a nice leisurely hike Or you might do a gentle flat horse ride Or try out your brand-new mountain bike. Well then sit by my side while I tell you Of the sorrows and joys you'll find there Then you can head up there to see it (Unless driving those curves has you scared). Oh I'm sure you'll enjoy trees and flowers And the wildlife you'll find all around But be wise---do not get heat prostration And end up pasty white on the ground. For at Coe Park you must carry water Most all trails are steep, and it is hot If you only bring one little bottle You'll soon find you've drunk all you've got. If you're staying the night there's good camping Get a permit. It won't cost much cash Please be sure not to be a bad camper Don't redecorate Coe with your trash. So please heed, friend, my wise words of warning And your visit up there will be fine Say hello to Henry Coe Headquarters And remember to stop at the sign.
Decomposed by Carolyn Fatooh Schimandle

Coe Hiker's Song sung to the tune of The Garden Song

(Chorus:) Step by step High and low Gonna hike these trails at Coe Gonna hike them 'cause I know It's the only way to see Wildflowers! Vistas far! Can't see them from a car No billboards there to mar The beauty of the land. Hiking trails at Coe Park Breathe deeply, dawn 'til dark Take it easy, leave no mark 'Cause the land's a sacred trust! Hiking trails, up and down Wear a smile, not a frown BIrds and trees, the life abounds Hear the music of the land. (Chorus)

Decomposed by Lee Dittmann

It's a Long Way to Orestimba sung to the tune of It's a Long Way to Tipperary
	It's a long way to Orestimba It's a long way to go It's a long way to Orestimba To the eastern side of Coe! First night at Mississippi Lake then on to Rooster Comb! It's a long, long way to Orestimba Our Coe wilderness home!
Decomposed by Carolyn Fatooh and Lee Dittmann

The Pine Ridge Ranchbillies Sung to the theme of The Beverly Hillbillies

Come and listen to my story 'bout a man named "Coe" Looking for a place to live for his bride so He once spent some money to get himself some land So up from the ground he built the Pine Ridge Ranch (Cows, that is, Meat and milk, Cattle drives.) Well, many years later His daughter Sada C. Gave away the land, made it county property Dedicated to the people, that's what made it great The county didn't want it so they sold it to the state (Parks, that is; Public lands, Protected and wild.)

Decomposed by Patrick Goodrich (slightly cooked by L. Dittmann)

Imagine (A Quiet Campground) Sung to the tune of Imagine with apologies to John Lennon

Imagine there's no country Or rock and R 'n' B No sixteen inch speakers Shaking up the trees      Imagine there's no people      Keeping us up 'til three! Imagine there's no litter Or empty cans of beer Decorating the ramadas Intoxicating all the deer      Imagine there's no people      Crudding up the johns!     You may say I'm a dreamer      But I'm not the only one      I hope some day you'll shut up      And the campground will sleep as one. Imagine there's no bozos Using sign posts for firewood The park staff cleans up for you They will work for food      Imagine all the people      Paying all their dues!      You may say I'm a dreamer      But I'm not the only one      I hope some day you'll grow up      And the campground will sleep as one.

Decomposed by Patrick A. Goodrich

Somewhere Over the Next Ridge sung to the tune of Somewhere Over the Rainbow
	Somewhere over the next ridge Way up high There's a lake that I heard of Maybe it was all a lie. Somewhere over the next ridge I lost hope I feel my legs turn to jello Don't know if I can cope.      Someday I'll fall down on the ground      And wake with paramedics all around me.      As Calstar copter flies up high      I look below and there they lie      It's Coit and Kelly! Somewhere over the next ridge Fisherman cast When the doctors release me Maybe I'll fish at last.
Decomposed by Carolyn Fatooh and Lee Dittmann

Coe Park Trails sung to the tune of The Sloop John B.

We came up from the val-ley My campin' buddy and me From San Jose high tech we did come Mouse-clicks all week My fingers did creak Well, I feel so broke up I want to hike Coe. (Refrain): So hike on a Coe Park trail See how it twists and climbs All I need's on my back Let me hike Coe! I wanna to hike Coe I wanna hike Coe---oh! I feel so broke up I want to hike Coe. My buddy he pack too much Forty pounds of cameras and such The Ranger had to come and drive him away! Don't leave him out there He didn't prepare, no! He feels so broke up He couldn't hike Coe! (Refrain) But I hiked on with all my might Found me a great campsite Heard nothin' but bugs and frogs and coyotes all night Let me stay here! Why don't they let me stay here--ere! This is the best trip, I ever been on! (Refrain)

Decomposed by Lee Dittmann

The Treefrog in the Pool sung to the tune of The Girl from Ipanima
	Small and squat and plain and dumpy The treefrog in the pool is grumpy Because she's had no flies In over an hour. She floats in water her eyes protruding She hopes they'll be no snakes intruding 'Cause if they find her they'll make her A part of their lunch. (Refrain:) Oh---! She floats there so still now! How--- Can you tell she is living? Yet--- When a damselfly flies near Her tongue will shoot from her mouth! And pull that damselfly down! Green or tan can be her colors Plain or striped just like her brothers She can change her hue If she needs to hide. When she swims she dives so swiftly She hides beneath a rock so darkly Shaded in the pool How long can she stay? (Refrain) Small and squat and round and dumpy The treefrog in the pool's not grumpy For now she's had her meal To last her the hour.
Decomposed by Lee Dittmann

Poison-oak sung to the tune of Edelweiss

Poison-oak, poison-oak On hills and canyons you greet me Leaves or bare Your're always there You look happy to meet me (Chorus:) Leaflets in threes Won't you let them be Let them be Don't touch them! Poison-oak, poison-oak, Bless our parkland forever!

Decomposed by Lee Dittmann

Thank a Lizard Original tune, give it a jazz swing

Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria spread by ticks.  In California, it is carried by the Western Black-legged Tick, which belongs to the same genus as the Deer Tick of the east coast.  The youngest ticks, the nymphs, do not bite human beings, but instead suck the blood of smaller animals such as the Western Fence Lizard. A few years ago, scientists discovered a curious fact among western ticks:  The older the tick, the less likely it was to carry Lyme disease.  In the Deer Tick of the east, the opposite was true.  Why the difference?  It turns out that something in the blood of Western Fence Lizards kills the Lyme disease spirochete.  Any tick which bites a lizard will have its gut cleansed of this parasite! Yay lizards!  Thanks!

Lyme disease no fun With it you won't walk or run Passed on by a tick Mouthparts in you she will stick (Refrain:) But thank a lizard today (thank a lizard today) You should get down on your knees! Thank a lizard that way (thank a lizard that way) For her blood kills that Lyme disease Ticks are so discrete A noisy tick you'll never meet! If they bite you---beware! You could get Lyme spirochetes! (Refrain) Young black legged tick In a human she won't stick! Young tick needs smaller host Fence lizard she loves the most! (Refrain, repeat twice, the last with extra feeling!)

Decomposed by Lee Dittmann

Crawling Everywhere sung to the tune of Blowin' in the Wind

How many times have you gone to a picnic And had uninvited guests? How many times have you found your potato salad Swarming with so many pests? (Refrain:) The ants are, I swear Crawling everywhere The ants they are crawling everywhere. How many times have you sat along a trail And found you were sitting on ants? And how many times did you jump up and down Shaking them out of your pants? And how many words that we can't repeat Did you hear come out of your mouth? Curses loud that were not so sweet Went flying north and south! (Refrain, repeat twice)

Decomposed by Lee Dittmann