Last Saturday, Eisner Camp celebrated one of our favorite camp traditions: Rib Night! Rib Night is a huge celebration of everything country-western here at Eisner, and one that campers and staff alike look forward to summer after summer. We put on our overalls and cowboy hats, sang along to country favorites such as “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and “Sweet Home Alabama,” and of course chowed down on a BBQ buffet of ribs, chicken, and corn on the cob!
Following Rib Night we enjoyed Homespun Dancing with Paul Rosenberg and the Fireflies! This countrified musical group played traditional folk music while Rosnerberg called out dance moves. Campers and staff alike couldn’t help but move along to favorites like “Old Dan Tucker” and “Zodiac.” Afterwards, campers joined their units for Havdallah, song session, and Laila Tov!
Yaaaaay!!!
While “Rib Night” sounds like it is alot of fun for the campers i think you should reconsider singing “Sweet Home Alabama” as part of the festivities. While I know there are those that do not consider this to be a southern racist anthem there are those that argue that it surely is from its put down of Neil Young (the story goes that the song was written in response to Young’s song “Southern Man” to the references to the notorious racist govenor at the the time, George Wallace. Folks can make up there own mind but i always came down on the side that saw this as a racist backlash song against the civil rights movement and the changes being brougt to the south. Surely you can come up with a genuinely “progressive” southern or country western tune?
Big wheels keep on turning
Carry me home to see my kin
Singing songs about the Southland
I miss Alabama once again
And I think it’s a sin, yes
Well, I heard Mr. Young sing about her
Well, I heard ol’ Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don’t need him around anyhow
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I’m coming home to you
In Birmingham they love the governor, boo boo boo
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you? Tell the truth
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I’m coming home to you
Here I come, Alabama
Ah ah ah
Alabama, ah ah ah
Alabama, ah ah ah
Alabama, ah ah ah
Alabama
Now Muscle Shoals has got the swampers
And they’ve been known to pick a song or two
(Yes, they do!)
Lord, they get me off so much
They pick me up when I’m feeling blue, now how about you?
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I’m coming home to you
Sweet home Alabama, oh, sweet home baby
Where the skies are so blue and the governor’s true
Sweet home Alabama, Lordy
Lord, I’m coming home to you, yeah yeah
Montgomery’s got the answer
It was great to see the spirit and energy of rib night. Clearly something we older alumni missed out on but get to enjoy vicariously through our children!