"Duckhide!" and the birth of Waddlerianism

Back in 1985, a group of us from Atlanta went up to a campground in Wisconsin for a week.

We were in two vehicles: in a van were my friends Alan, Nild, Kim, George, and Mike. Maybe a couple of more I’ve forgotten. My friend Autumn and I were in another car, keeping in touch with the van via walkie-talkies purchased at Walmart.

We drove all night, and with each stop for gas, the van people were loopier and loopier. Somewhere around Gary, Indiana, the van people had come up with the Waddlin’ song. It was sung to the tune of the Rawhide theme, but it was about ducks.

By the time we got to Madison, Wisconsin, “Waddlerianism” was a full-blown religion. We even had our own schism once!

The Atlanta group ended up going our different ways, but we still sing the song on the occasions we get together.

Here it is, 2022, nearly 40 years later, and I had another look at the song. I fleshed it out a little. I can’t believe that in all these years nobody thought of “hell-bent for feathers.” Eh! We were young.

So here’s that song:

Waddlin’, waddlin’, waddlin’,
Keep them duckies waddlin’,
Keep them duckies waddlin’, Duckhide!

Through fowl wind and weather,
Hell-bent for feathers,
Waiting with a duckling by my side.

Waddlin’, waddlin’, waddlin’,
Duckies might be dawdlin’,
Keep them duckies waddlin’, Duckhide!

Don't try to understand ’em,
Just rope, throw and band ’em,
Soon they’ll be flying high and wide!

Waddlin’, waddlin’, waddlin’,
Keep them duckies waddlin’,
Keep them duckies waddlin’, Duckhide!