Cover art for The Campfire Song by Original Cast of The Lightning Thief Musical

The Campfire Song Lyrics

[ALL]
Oh, things couldn't be worse
When your parents run the universe
Oh, things couldn't be worse
When your folks run the universe

[LUKE, spoken]
Alright, who's next?

[KATIE, spoken]
Oh! Okay, let me see! Uh...
(Sung)
My mom's Demeter
Goddess of grain
She gets excited when it starts to rain
But planting and planting and planting's a pain
Oh no


[ENSEMBLE: Oh no]

[KATIE, spoken]
Right?
(Sung)
For their sixteenth birthday, my friends got a car
I got a fern in some dumb mason jar

[GROVER, spoken]
Ooh, ooh! My turn!

(Sung)
I'm a child of Pan
God of the wild

For those who love nature, they're often beguiled
He's not really my dad, but I'm sort of his child...
Oh no...

[ENSEMBLE: Oh, no]


[GROVER]
He went for a hike to explore new frontiers
And no one has seen him for thousands of years

[ALL]
Oh, things couldn't be worse
When your parents run the universe
Oh, things couldn't be worse
When your folks run the universe

[PERCY, spoken]
Chiron! Who's your dad?

[CHIRON, spoken]
Oh, well...
(Sung)
My father is Kronos
Remember my lecture
He ate his children

[LUKE, spoken]
Chiron wins

[ENSEMBLE makes noises of agreement]

How about you Silena?

[SILENA]
The goddess of love
My mom's Aphrodite
She tries to be cool but mainly she's flighty
I'll bring home a boy, and she's there in her nightie


[ENSEMBLE: Oh no!]

(Spoken)
It's so embarrassing, guys!

(Sung)
I tried to seek help from even the fates
Cause she steals my mascara and all of my dates

[LUKE, spoken]
Alright Percy, it's your turn

[PERCY, spoken]
If I tried to sing, it'll probably cause an avalanche

[LUKE, spoken]
Oh, we're all friends here. Come on, give it a shot

[PERCY]
My mom was named Sally
She loved scary movies
And food that was blue
And-


[KATIE, spoken]
He's doing it wrong

[SILENA, spoken]
Yeah, who's your godly parent?

[PERCY, spoken]
Oh... I don't know

[LUKE, spoken]
It's alright A lot of half-bloods never know their godly parent. Just give it a try

[PERCY]
So my dad is some god
That's great I guess
Did he not want me? Or not want the stress?
Too bad he's the worst, and my life is a mess
Oh no

[ENSEMBLE cheers]

I hope he shows even a trace
'Cause I got some choice words to throw in his face!

[ALL]
Oh, things couldn't be worse
When your parents run the universe
Oh, things couldn't be worse

[LUKE]
But I don't care where our parents may be
As long as you are here with me


[ALL]
We don't care where our parents may be
As long as you are here with me
As long as you are here with me!

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About

This song bio is unreviewed
Genius Annotation

The Campfire song is about how half-bloods go unnoticed by their parents. This can happen in ways such as gods taking a long time to claim their children, if they ever do, not responding to their children’s prayers to them, and not giving their children an opportunity to make a difference.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Original Cast of The Lightning Thief Musical say about "The Campfire Song"?
Genius Answer

“Joe and I wrote this late one night and it was one of my favorite memories of writing the show with him. We get to live in the world of camp for a moment, where Percy finally feels like he belongs, until it’s all ripped away. The sense of community and storytelling around a campfire means I bring back the acoustic guitar for an off-the-cuff, ¾ meter, rollicking gripe session. Each character has a slightly different orchestration or key for their verse. The campers’ communal rage against the failings of their parents unite them as a family.” – Rob Rokicki

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