CISV History Lesson #1 - The CISV Song

The CISV Song is being sung at all CISV programs while rising/lowering the CISV-flag. It was written during the first ever CISV-camp in Cincinatti in 1951, and the original song contained a first verse where all the countries present at the very first CISV camp was mentioned:

Here in this village you may see

children living happily.

French, Norwegian, Swede and Dane,

British, German, American,

Mexican and Austrian too,

learning through the things we do,

how alike am I to you.

The next year already, new countries had joined CISV, and the song had to be re-written. Here are the lyrics for the song the way it has been sung since:

THE CISV SONG

[C] Here in this village [F] you may [C] see

[G7] Children [C] living [G7] happily

[G7] Different [C] race and [F] different [C] land

[D7] Here we come to [G7] understand

[F] One anothers [C] point of view

[D7] Learning through the [G] things [D7] we [G7] do

[C] How [D7] alike am [G7] I to [C] you

Here we live and eat and sleep

Talk and laugh and sometimes weep

Here we share our hopes and fears

Build a bridge across the years

Sow a seed and plant a tree

Beneath whose branches there may be

All the nations gathered free

That our children so may grow

In a world we did not know

Sharing all they have to give

Learning how to love and live

In our hands the future lies

Seize the moment 'ere it flies

[C] Stamp the [F] present [G] with an [Am] act

[F] Dare to make our [G7] dream a [C] fact