Beans, etc, PS: The Battle Hymn...

[driver.som]

I have reported you and your friends for spamming my website this is a
criminal offence ---and carries a maximum fine of £20,000 pounds.

----- Original Message -----
From: "James Harbeck" <jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2007 4:02 AM
Subject: Re: Beans, etc, PS: The Battle Hymn...


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       James Harbeck <jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA>
> Subject:      Re: Beans, etc, PS: The Battle Hymn...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>
> Just to add to the spread on this: I learned these same tunes (slight
> variations thereon) in school in Alberta in the 1970s. I'm pretty
> sure that my first acquaintance with the tune of "On Top of Old
> Smokey" was the "on top of spaghetti" version, and thereafter the
> version:
>
> On top of old smokey
> all covered with sand
> I shot my poor teacher
> with a red rubber band.
> I did it with pleasure
> I did it with pride
> but how could I miss her?
> She's 40 feet wide.
> I went to her funeral
> I went to her grave
> when others threw flowers
> I threw a grenade.
>
> The original version was something I was only acquainted with
> somewhat later, though I think I figured early on that the song was a
> parody of something, so I wasn't surprised to hear the original.
>
> We also had the Battle Hymn of the Republic versions. And we also had
> this rather basic song, to a tune I haven't heard elsewhere:
>
> No more school, no more books
> no more teacher's dirty looks
> no more rats and no more cats
> no more teachers to give us straps
>
> Also, this being when it was, we had one to the tune of "Jesus Christ
> Superstar." It had a first verse that rhymed "Superstar" with "car",
> but I can't remember it; I do remember this verse, though:
>
> When I die
> bury me
> hang my balls from a cherry tree
> when they're ripe
> take a bite
> don't blame me if they don't taste right
>
> And then, in 1977, Pink Floyd came out with "Another Brick in the
> Wall part 2" and blew all the rest of these out of the water. The
> kids stopped singing parodies of songs they didn't know anyway and
> went straight for "We don't need no education, we don't need no
> thought control..."
>
> James Harbeck.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org