Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2007 September 6

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September 6

AT&T song

AT&T radio spots recently ended with a snippet of a song: "All round the world / Gotta spread the word." The voice could be John Lennon's. Know the song? —Tamfang 00:59, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

This [1] should help, it's a song by The Band, or at least written by Levon Helm. DuncanHill 01:03, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Actually, it's All Around the World (Oasis song)--Sethacus 01:05, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Interesting, no-one could possibly suggest that Oasis's music is ever in any way derivitive! DuncanHill 01:07, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

(sarcasm) Oh, no. Especially not derivative of the Beatles.--Sethacus 01:10, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Seems Oasis' "keeping it real, man" ideals had it's price. Though I wonder if its also used commercially in the UK? Rockpocket 01:54, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

A stretch in Snippets for Marketing, but here's a scary thought...'How do you sale something using a [NIRVANA] snip?! (rhetoric)' [ref42 of said wikipage titled 'Courtney Love Sells Substantial Share Of Nirvana Publishing Rights'] --i am the kwisatz haderach 15:54, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Sea shanty

\This is one I'm not expecting an answer to, but you never know your luck... Waaay back when i was a kid in the 70s, I was in a school choir, and for some reason, we learnt a song which was either a traditional sea shanty or a more modern piece deliberately written to sound like a shanty. Unfortunately all I can remeber are fragments of the lyrics, but maybe they'll be enough to spark sonmeone's maritim musical memories. The first verse started "A sou'wester blowing Billy, can't you hear it roar?", and at some point - I think in the chorus - there's a line about "The Devil took the gentleman". Google searches have been fruitless. Any ideas what it might have been? Grutness...wha? 12:09, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I sang this at school too and have been trying to find it ever since. I’m pretty sure we sang it at The Castle School in Thornbury, nr Bristol. The lyrics I remember are “Haul Haul Away Billy, Haul Away With Me ! The Devil Took The Gentleman, He Woooooon’t Take Theeeee, The Devil Took The Gentleman, He Woooon’t Take Thee”.

Still no luck finding a recording of it anywhere. (Damon)

It looks like it's A Sailor's Consolation with words by Charles Dibdin, and music by Bob Zentz. This should help you google it. ---Sluzzelin talk 13:12, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Mmmm. I'm not entirely convinced. I can still recall the tune, and those words wouldn't fit (as well as no Devil or gentleman appearing, and no chorus). Trouble with folk tunes in general is that the words tend to be pretty variable, which is probably why I haven't had any luck. It's the closest I've seen, though, so thanks for the attempt. Chances are the song I recall was based on the Dibdin/Zentz one, or both were based on the same original. Which may - if this lengthy document is anything to go by, have been Charles Dickens, of all people (Dombey & Son, ch. 49, to be precise). Grutness...wha? 15:19, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I remember the "devil taking the gentleman! He wont take thee ..." or something of the sort. Sung at my infant school I think in Bucks in the mid 70's. Gravel Hill infants in Chalfont St Peter, not there any more. I also remember Clive Dunn comming to visit in full Grandad attire to sing his "Grandad" song. That puts it at 1971.

If you know the tune, have you tried Musipedia?--Shantavira|^{feed me} 16:06, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Or try (http://www.sailorsongs.com/lyrics.htm), may help. ny156uk 16:52, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

OK - I'll try them. Thanks! Grutness...wha? 01:52, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

If I remember correct this comes from th school play Captain Cockatoo

The play is called 'Lieutenant Cockatoo', and it seems to have been mainly performed by primary school students in NSW and NZ in the mid 1980s. IIRC, Lieutenant Cockatoo was a pompous, interfering yet ineffectual British naval officer who shot an albatross at sea thereby comdemning the whole ship to death. I remember there was a reference to bandicoots in the play, so I'm guessing it was an Australian author. One of the other songs from the play is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAzQM6zCfuk Emdi_25

I don't believe this is the song I remember. I can recall the lines "Blow, blow away Billy. Blow along o'er me. The Devil took the Gentleman he won't take thee" repeated in a chorus - and "an ocean blowing / a sou'wester blowing Billy" in the verses". This was from a primary school concert in the late sixties - I haven't been able to track down the rest of the song. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Adamross77 (talk • contribs) 20:10, 17 March 2014 (UTC)

Hi there, I remember singing this as a child, the title I believe is The Story of Lieutenant Cockatoo, but all I can remember singing is - "No no! said the Captain, this won't do, when he first clapped eyes on Lieutenant Cockatoo, with the ribbons in his hair, and his easy chair, the only ropes he'll pull are at the Admirality!"

Also in this play was a song Called Albatross, this was what Lieutenant Cockatoo killed, causing bad luck for himself and his shipmates, he was a "Dandy" I seem to remember this comment about him, in the title song or in another.

This is something I picked up from www.worldcat.org

The story of Lieutenant Cockatoo

Author: Phyllis Tate; Ronald Eyre

Publisher: London : Oxford University Press, ©1968.

Edition/Format: Musical score : Juvenile audience : English

I have also been trying to find the lyrics to the two above mentioned songs, but can't find it either.

I believe it was first aired on BBC Schools broadcast in 1968.???

Regards

Jay.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.150.217.186 (talk) 15:58, 24 August 2016 (UTC)

And the portrait of his Uncle in his Admiral's rig And his scented soap and his four bright pistols And his waistcoats three and his chest of tea

"A sou'wester blowing Billy -- can't you hear it roar? God help them, how I pity all unhappy folk ashore! Row, row away Billy, row along o' me! The Devil took the Gentleman, he wo-o-o-on't take thee-e-e The Devil too the Gentleman, he wo-o-o-on't take thee" Then up spoke the cabin boy, whose name was Billy too, and he asked them all to tell them all about the Cockatoo...

There's a song containing a long list of the contents of all the sea chests that Lieutenant Cockatoo arrived at the ship with.

Later, yes, he shoots the albatross. And the wind dies down and a mist comes up and a ship appears in the mist -- but is it manned by humans? "What do you call a ship that goes when no wind blows? How can any man stand the same -- decks rigged with flame?"

But the Lieutenant think's it's a ship that his father, the Admiral, has sent for him. So he demands that they send him over in one of the ship's boats... "1. 2. (continue counting in the background) The mate tried to plead with him, the bo'sun tried too. The lads aboard forgave him tho' he was a cockatoo BUT he cut them off sharp, with a warning in his throat and made them roll the ladder down and put him in the boat".

I can't remember exactly how it ends, except that we're back to cabin boy Billy's question in the first song.

"There's a place in France ...

"... where the naked ladies dance." I read somewhere or other (it was months ago) a mention of a song, beginning with that line, which is allegedly known to every schoolboy. I must have gone to the wrong schools; but I notice that the line scans to a clarinet phrase often used in comedy to suggest the Mysterious East. Can someone enlighten me further? —Tamfang 21:53, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I have never heard this before, but somehow I knew exactly what melody it reflects too. The Straight Dope has a bit about it, but I can't verify it as truth. HYENASTE 22:02, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Ah yes, The Straight Dope is what brought it to my attention. —Tamfang 07:04, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

this is just one variation- There's a Hole in the Wall, where the kids can see it all, There's a place in France, where the naked ladies dance, But the men don't care, cuz they wear no underwear. I sang along as a kid, although the meaning or the origin, I have no clue. --i am the kwisatz haderach 22:06, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Found the wiki on it here, The Streets of Cairo, or the Poor Little Country Maid. Good to know, thanks Tamfang. --i am the kwisatz haderach 22:13, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

We sang that as "In the land of Oz, where the women wear no bras, but the men don't care, cause they wear no underwear." Adam Bishop 01:00, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I can confirm this is always true.  :) JackofOz 04:38, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Am I right in thinking that this is the music to Wilson, Kepple and Betty's immortal Sand Dance? DuncanHill 12:37, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

The one that all the old paintings on the tombs do? —Tamfang 04:49, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I'd like to note that the version I learnt as a child rhymes and scans better, but probably isn't as widely known. It also makes much less sense. "Oh the girls in France/Do the belly-wobble dance./And the dance they do/Is enough to tie a shoe./And the shoe they tie/Is enough to tell a lie./And the lie they tell/Is enough to ring a bell./And the bell they ring/Goes 'ding-a-ling-a-ling'." Perhaps a form of modernist poetry, valuing the sound of the words over the meaning? :) 86.149.189.229 02:44, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

I could swear I remembered answering this question before, and I was right!. I even repeated the same little ditty, haha. Adam Bishop 18:01, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Wow Bishop, I am impressed!! I'm going to ask the question in 3 more years. --i am the kwisatz haderach 23:18, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

And did you? Twice, by now? —Tamfang (talk) 10:09, 28 January 2014 (UTC)

With a midi of the whole song, no less, yow! —Tamfang 18:26, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

How about this child's rhyme, us kids in the Bay Area, California sang, when we weren't singing 'Blame It On The Rain', it goes: 'I pledge allegience to the flag / Michael Jackson is a fag / Pepsi Cola Burned Him up / Now he's drinking Seven up'. Weird song, and where did this gem come from? --i am the kwisatz haderach 22:15, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Powerpuff girls?

I found this weird but good fighting game that looks like the new version of Powerpuff Girls but not quite. It seems to have other Genny shows into it like Dexter and even has Invader Zim as a boss. My question: who is "Bell"? I've never heard of her cartoon. Link found here.--JDitto 22:25, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

That is a game made by some fans of them, you can look up Bleedman and the other sprite makers (Artists for it) on deviant art I think. It wasn't made with permission from capcom, or anyone. Just some people who know actionscripting and Flash and got together and made the game. Bell is a character made up by the makers is what I'm lead to believe. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.183.196.100 (talk) 04:38, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Belated thanks :) --JDitto 01:57, 20 September 2007 (UTC)