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Song Parodies -> "When [Bush] Was A Boy"
Original Song Title:
"When I Was A Lad from HMS Pinafore"
Original Performer:
Gilbert and Sullivan
Parody Song Title:
"When [Bush] Was A Boy"
Parody Written by:
Lara Inis
The Lyrics
Four more years! . . . in which to sing this song . . .
BUSH
When I was a boy I was sent over
To boarding school at Phillips Andover.
Playing sports was hard work for me,
So I led the cheers for the Academy.
CHORUS
He led the cheers for the Academy.
BUSH
I led the cheers so spiritedlee,
That now I am the Leader of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
He led the cheers so spiritedlee,
That now he is the Leader of The World That's Free!
BUSH
As prep school boy I then was given
A legacy place in Yale New Haven.
The keg man of my fraternity,
I earned myself a gentleman's C.
CHORUS
He earned himself a gentleman's C.
BUSH
That gentleman's C did so well for me,
That now I am the Leader of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
That gentleman's C did so well for he,
That now he is the Leader of The World That's Free!
BUSH
On leaving Yale I joined the vanguard
Of the Vietnam War — in the Tex AN* Guard.
And when I wasn't fighting Charlie,
I went campaigning in Alabamee.
CHORUS
He went campaigning in Alabamee.
BUSH
That kind of campaign so suited me,
That now I am the Leader of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
That kind of campaign so suited he,
That now he is the Leader of The World That's Free!
BUSH
Harvard's cloisters I next did darken
Before getting a seat on the Board of Harken.
My insider stock sale made my day,
As I got rich thanks to my MBA.
CHORUS
He got rich thanks to his MBA.
BUSH
That MBA so qualified me,
To be CEO of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
That MBA so qualified he,
To be CEO of The World That's Free!
BUSH
The Texas governorship I then sought
With GOP support which my daddy wrought.
I always did as Karl Rove said,
And I rarely let a thought enter my head.
CHORUS
He rarely let a thought enter his head.
BUSH
I thought so little, they rewarded me
By running me for Leader of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
He thought so little, they rewarded he
By running him for Leader of The World That's Free!
BUSH
Now young folks all, whoever you may be,
If you want to rise to the top of the tree,
If you don't mind being a puppet or a tool,
Be careful to be guided by this golden rule.
CHORUS
Be careful to be guided by this golden rule.
BUSH
Get the right strings pulled . . . and work hardly . . . ,
And y'all may be leaders of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
Get the right strings pulled and work hardly,
And y'all may be leaders of The World That's Free!
——————————
*'Tex AN' (short for Texas Air National) is pronounced to rhyme with 'van'.
It is not pronounced with a schwa, as 'Texan' is.
When I was a boy I was sent over
To boarding school at Phillips Andover.
Playing sports was hard work for me,
So I led the cheers for the Academy.
CHORUS
He led the cheers for the Academy.
BUSH
I led the cheers so spiritedlee,
That now I am the Leader of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
He led the cheers so spiritedlee,
That now he is the Leader of The World That's Free!
BUSH
As prep school boy I then was given
A legacy place in Yale New Haven.
The keg man of my fraternity,
I earned myself a gentleman's C.
CHORUS
He earned himself a gentleman's C.
BUSH
That gentleman's C did so well for me,
That now I am the Leader of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
That gentleman's C did so well for he,
That now he is the Leader of The World That's Free!
BUSH
On leaving Yale I joined the vanguard
Of the Vietnam War — in the Tex AN* Guard.
And when I wasn't fighting Charlie,
I went campaigning in Alabamee.
CHORUS
He went campaigning in Alabamee.
BUSH
That kind of campaign so suited me,
That now I am the Leader of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
That kind of campaign so suited he,
That now he is the Leader of The World That's Free!
BUSH
Harvard's cloisters I next did darken
Before getting a seat on the Board of Harken.
My insider stock sale made my day,
As I got rich thanks to my MBA.
CHORUS
He got rich thanks to his MBA.
BUSH
That MBA so qualified me,
To be CEO of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
That MBA so qualified he,
To be CEO of The World That's Free!
BUSH
The Texas governorship I then sought
With GOP support which my daddy wrought.
I always did as Karl Rove said,
And I rarely let a thought enter my head.
CHORUS
He rarely let a thought enter his head.
BUSH
I thought so little, they rewarded me
By running me for Leader of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
He thought so little, they rewarded he
By running him for Leader of The World That's Free!
BUSH
Now young folks all, whoever you may be,
If you want to rise to the top of the tree,
If you don't mind being a puppet or a tool,
Be careful to be guided by this golden rule.
CHORUS
Be careful to be guided by this golden rule.
BUSH
Get the right strings pulled . . . and work hardly . . . ,
And y'all may be leaders of The World That's Free!
CHORUS
Get the right strings pulled and work hardly,
And y'all may be leaders of The World That's Free!
——————————
*'Tex AN' (short for Texas Air National) is pronounced to rhyme with 'van'.
It is not pronounced with a schwa, as 'Texan' is.
© 2004 Lara Inis
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| 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| 5 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
User Comments
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Some of your implications are wrong, but this is a very well written, entertaining parody.
Great job!
Hey anybody who dont give this all 5s is stooped...
Thank you for your kind words, everyone. This was my first attempt at a song parody. If you wish to sing along, here's an mp3 of a 78 rpm recording of the original patter song: http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/pinafore/a_lad.mp3 If the original lyrics get in the way, there is also a music-only MIDI file: http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/pinafore/web_opera/pn09.mid http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/pinafore/web_opera/pn09.html http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/pinafore/web_opera/operhome.html
I saw a MAD magazine from 1962 that featured JFK singing to Caroline, "...and now I am the leader of the whole coun-try!" This was funnier. I've also heard Allen Sherman's version of "When I Was a Lad," which is better yet. I guess that's another one on my to-do list. Of course, my to-do list has quite a few things on it, most of them female.
Not that any of them are male. Damn, I gotta pay attention before I post.
There have been more than a few parodies of G&S's ". . . Major-General". But I know of only one that adheres strictly to the 3-syllable rhyming scheme of the original, viz, Tom Lehrer's "The Elements". Are there others? In any event, consider this a challenge.
Great song made better by telling people how stupid Bush is. Too bad he won.
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