The Princess Pat...

Someone recently pointed out that one of our favorite songs, "The Princess Pat" is based on a very similar song about the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry.

From Wikipedia.org:

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) is an infantry regiment in the Canadian Forces (CF), belonging to 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG). It is one of the most decorated regiments in the CF. It currently consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the Reserve Force (militia). The PPCLI is ranked second in the order of precedence for the regular infantry, and 38th in the infantry militia. The regiment's RHQ is located in Edmonton, Alberta, with its three regular battalions located in Alberta and Manitoba. The regiment acts as the "local" infantry regiment for western Canada.

If you check out the entry, you'll see the original lyrics toward the bottom of the page. Those, of course, are the *official* serious verses. At some point in history, these words were adapted by children's artists and campers to be more accessible to children. For example, instead of "light infantry" we use "lived in a tree." This makes the song something else entirely: namely a style parody, where the subject is completely changed.

Another similar song is "The Ants Go Marching..." which was a children's version of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" (which itself was a variation of an anti-war song).

Isn't history fun?