I Left My...

There appears to be a number of different versions of this song. Here is the one I know:

Left, left, left right left

I left my wife in Argentina

With 52 kids and a laughing hyena

I thought I was right, right,

Right in my country and whoop-de-doo!

Left, left! I left my wife...

Your left foot comes down on each "left" in the march. At the "whoop-de-do!" you do this little jig so that your left foot will come down on the "left" in the next line.

Here are a couple of other versions:

I had a good home and I left

I had a good home and I left

I left on my own and it served me right,

Left, right left right.

(Courtesy of Eileen Kermode, posted to the WAGGGS-L Mailing List)

I left my wife and foty-eight kids

On the verge of starvation with only one hamburger

Left, left to the left, right, left.

(Courtesy of Beth Fausnaugh, posted to the WAGGGS-L Mailing List)

Thanks very much to an anonymous Guide from the Jersey Channel Islands, who sent me this version!

I left, left,

I left my wife in New Orleans

With thirty-five kids and a bucket of beans

I thought it was right, right,

Right for my country whoop-ee-doo!

Left, left,

I left...

(courtesy of Kathi Livas)

Left, left,

Left my wife and forty-eight kids on the edge of starvation without any gingerbread.

Did I do right, right?

Right to my country but not to my flag.

Skip by jingo (do shuffle/skip step to end up on left foot)

Left, left...

I left my wife in 1712

On the verge of starvation

Without a piece of gingerbread,

Did I do right? Right?

Right for my country,

Right for myself?

I managed a store,

Bought a new home,

By Jove, but I left, left…