Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh

Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)” is a novelty song recorded by Allan Sherman. The melody is taken from the ballet Dance of the Hours by Amilcare Ponchielli, while the lyrics were written by Allan Sherman and Lou Busch.  Allan based the lyrics on letters of complaint which he received from his son Robert who was attending Camp Champlain, a summer camp in Westport, New York.The lyrics go on to describe unpleasant, dangerous, and tragic developments, such as fellow campers going missing or contracting deadly illnesses. He asks how his “precious little brother” is doing, and begs to be taken home, afraid of being left out in the forest and fearing getting eaten by a bear, promising to behave, and even letting his aunt Bertha hug and kiss him. At the end, he notes that the rain has stopped and fun activities have begun (such as swimming, sailing, and baseball), and asks his parents to “kindly disregard this letter”.