"Tin rickies"

This is the closest reference I found on line in a quick search for the song about the river of rum (the song called "Happy Land" on a page about the Berkshire Boys Camp). Here are the words as we learned them:

Have you ever been
In the land of gin
Where the river of rum flows by,
Where the little gin rickeys
Grow in the trees
And the highballs grow on the ground?

The singers begin, say, at G (or "sol") and sing the tune as follows:

Sol sol mi sol sol
Sol sol fa sol sol
Sol sol mi mi sol mi re do
Sol sol mi mi sol sol sol
Mi sol sol sol
Sol sol mi sol mi re re do

The next verse repeats the words but begins at C an octave above middle C, in the key of F, as follows:

C1 C1 B-flat C1 C1, etc.

And so it goes on until no one can sing any higher. Here's a virtual keyboard with sounds so that you may try it out for yourself. This is a song from childhood; I have a feeling that it may be an old fraternity or sorority song. I'd be interested in learning whether anyone else remembers anything about it. This is a personal inquiry along the lines of my entry on "Mister Mustard, Mister Mustard, please let me down."

A playlist from the library

Mambo Fever - a compilation from Verve / Universal Music many artists, mostly mid-'60s; several gems

Insatisfecha - Diana Reyes 10 very lively tracks to not sit still to, including long-ago Chelo Silva hit "La Lampara"; crackerjack banda duranguense

15 authentic hits; 20 years 1966-1986 CBS Sony Javier Solis RMK-82811 2-1053 great singer, great songs, luxurious arrangements and accompaniment

Entre tangos y mariachi - Rocio Durcal great songs, the finest arrangements and accompaniment, several hits

Tejano Roots: Orquestas Tejanas Arhoolie CD 368 a compilation; nobody was new to me except Balde Gonzalez, a happy discovery; other artists with multiple tracks are Beto Villa and Isidro Lopez

Joe Williams Sings About You / Sentimental & Melancholy this is a mystery import of some kind (library labels hide a lot) originally Capital EMI, with many, many fine tracks; first recorded for Roulette in 1959 and 1961; Count Basie Orchestra

The Very Best of Cole Porter - compilation with many artists, mostly recorded 1950s through 1960, with the odd exception of an Aaron Neville version of In the Still of the Night UTV Verve; Eartha's not at her best here, but everything else is a humdinger; Armstrong's Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love) is a gem

Andre Previn Ballads (solo jazz standards) produced by Phil Ramone; this is a prize (people forget that Previn had an early career as a jazz pianist)

Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane tracks originally recorded for Riverside Jazzland in 1957 and 1958; every track is perfect

Thank you, Austin Public Library!