Princess Pat (song)

Princess Patricia of Connaught

"Princess Pat" is a 1917 North American song, popular to sing at campfires.^[1] It began as a military cadence of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.^[2]

Lyrics[]

This is a repeat after me song

The Princess pat
Lived in a tree
She sailed across
The seven seas

She sailed across
The channel too
And she took with her
A rick-a-bamboo

A rick-a-bamboo,
Now what is that?
It's something made
By the Princess Pat,

It's red and gold,
And purple too,
That's why it's called
A rick-a-bamboo

A rick-a-bamboo,
Now what is that?
It's something made
By the Princess Pat,

It's red and gold,
And purple too,
That's why it's called
A rick-a-bamboo!

Now Captain Jack,
Had a mighty fine crew,
He sailed across
The channel too,

His ship did sink
And yours will too
If you don't take
A rick-a-bamboo

A rick-a-bamboo,
Now what is that,
It's something made
By the Princess Pat,

It's red and gold,
And purple too,
That's why it's called
A rick-a-bamboo!

The Princess Pat
Saw Captain Jack,
She reeled him in,
And brought him back.

She saved his life,
And his crew's too.
And she saved 'em with
A rick-a-bamboo!

A rick-a-bamboo,
Now what is that,
It's something made
By the Princess Pat,

It's red and gold,
And purple too,
That's why it's called
A rick-a-bamboo!
^[3]

The Real Princess Pat and her Colours[]

Princess Patricia, the Colonel-in-Chief, designed and made by hand the regimental colours of the Canadian Forces infantry regiment, named in her honour. They are a crimson flag with a circular purple centre. In the circle are gold initials V P which stand for Victoria Patricia. The regimental colours became known as the "Ric-A-Dam-Doo", reportedly from the Gaelic for "cloth of your mother". This colour was carried in every regimental action during World War I.

The Ric-a-Dam-Doo[]

The original Ric-a-Dam-Doo is now in The Military Museums in Calgary.

It's red and gold, and purple too.

References[]