While I was a primary (elementary) school student, I had a very brave music teacher. Why? He had this song that we would sing and I am amazed he got away with it. Thing is I can't remember all the lyrics. Has anyone else in Australia heard of this seminal tune about a jumbo, a Gemini, a bottle of whiskey and a granny?? If you do and know all the lyrics (what I can remember are below), could you please contact me.
This is what I can remember of the lyrics (and you will understand why I am amazed we actually sang it at school)
One chilly morning without any warning I found myself in the local jail,
Dad came and got me I thought he would clock me he had to pay five hundred bail.
(Can't remember what comes next)
Chorus
Grandma's partial to a drop of whiskey,
She says it gives her heart a stir,
Bought her a bottle to celebrate your birthday,
And borrowed Dad's car to call on her,
Ending
Because my Gran is ninety and a jumbo sat on my Gemini
Donnie, Happy, do you remember this tune?? I loved to belt it out ala Jimmy Barnes (I was a yeller not a singer) at choir. Only members of the choir got to sing this fab song. But I didn't join the choir just to sing this song, I also joined because the music teacher was cool about toliet breaks. The grade 6 teacher was not. If you want to know why I still cannot forgive the grade 6 teacher to this day for his toliet break policy, email me.
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5 comments:
i can't wait to see all of the lyrics! please, someone help ayama-chan remember! :)
The bit that comes after the "Dad cam and got me.." line is:
He said now don't deceive me, and then would not believe me
Although I've always been a quiet and sober guy, when I told him it happened because me gran was 90
And a jumbo sat on my Gemini.
Sorry, can't help beyond that but I'd love to be reminded if there's someone else who can help!!
I just found this song surface from my subconscious, once again from primary school here in WA. I'm stuck at a similar place, but from my memory of the chorus it continues...
I bought a bottle to celebrate her birthday and took dad's to call on her.
Turned into the street that led to granny's cottage, was there I saw the elephant I thought I'd die,
When I tooted to warn her she only swung her trunk and she sat down on my Gemini.
There's also a verse ...was then I lost my temper, turned around and hit the policeman right in the eye..or something to that effect.
Any further!?!
When I tooted to warn her she
I remember a bit from the last verse, something like this:
(he obviously gets pulled over by the cops & there's some lyrics as if the policeman is saying);
"...Drunk while driving, and now obstructing traffic, and using a most offensive tone."
Then I lost my temper, started yelling loudly,
Did my block and hit the policeman right in the eye!
And that's why they jailed me one chilly day, when an elephant sat on my Gemini!
I vaguely remember this song, too, would LOVE to get/remember all the words, and funnily enough, it has been on my mind lately as well! I was a primary school child in the 80's in WA - must have been a common music book used by WA teachers in the curriculum back then!
I kept the sheet music after all these years, because the tune was the same as 'Country Gardens'
Verse 1
One chilly morning without any warning
I found myself in the local jail.
Dad came and got me I thought he’d have clocked me,
He had to pay five hundred bail.
He said, “Now don’t deceive me!” but then would not believe me,
(Although I’ve always been a quiet and sober guy,)
When I told him it happened because my Gran was ninety
And a jumbo sat on my Gemini!
Chorus
Grandma's partial to a drop of whiskey,
She says it gives her heart a stir.
I bought her a bottle to celebrate your birthday,
And took Dad's car to call on her.
Turned into the street that led to Granny’s cottage,
T’was then I saw the elephant, I thought I’d die!
When I tooted to warn her she only swung her trunk,
And she sat down on my Gemini!
Verse 2
Echoes of creaking and crashing and smashing
Of whisky bottle sad to say.
My dad’s car was crushed much flatter than a pancake
Then up got the Jumbo and lumbered away.
Along came the tow-trucks, five, and six, and secen
And all the other people who were passing by,
And none would believe at all when I told them
A jumbo sat on my Gemini!
Chorus
Verse 3
Along came a policeman he said ‘You’ve had a bingle,
And may I ask the reason why?’
‘Officer,’ I said, ‘I’m sure that you can see
Where an elephant sat on my Gemini.
He said, ‘You smell of whisky, and drunken driving’s risky,
A more unlikely story I have never heard.
Show your licence and ownership, and blow into this bag, sir,
Then tell me exactly what occurred’
Well!
Chorus
Verse 4
He said, ‘Don’t be brash, sir, you’re being rather rash, sir,
You’ve smashed a vehicle not your own.
Drunk while your driving and now obstructing traffic,
And using a most offensive tone.’
T’was then I lost my temper and started yelling loudly,
Did my block and hit the policeman right in the eye.
And that’s why they jailed me one chilly day
When a jumbo sat on my Gemini!
Chorus
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