2 Jul 2008
Act one, scene one – Brenda Blethyn gets shot
We Built This Village On A Trad. Arr. Tune has become something of a live favourite, as well as having one of my favourite ever HMHB song titles. References to very obscure Moz as well as Greek mythology and goodness knows what else. Thanks to EskimoEric
See lyrics to We Built This Village On A Trad. Arr. Tune
30 Letters Sent:Jump to latest »
Sanchez
You missed a line. “From wattle and daub ‘neath a silv’ry moon, we built this village on a trad. arr. tune”
Can’t remember exactly where it goes but it’s in there somewhere.
Jul 2nd, 2008
Martin
In the first line I think it’s ” .. in the scout hut…” rather than “… then the scout hut”
Also, it’s not Mamas and Papas but Mummers (and still probably Papas to make the pun, although could be Poppers)? Mummers are actors in traditional folk troupes.
Also, I’m pretty sure that “Blind Man and Pantheus” should be “..wine-maddened Pantheus…”. Pantheus was a cousin of Dionysus (the Greek god of wine) who suggested that the best way to forget the woes of the day was to get off your tree on wine. Even though Pantheus and Dionysus didn’t get on very well to put it mildly, the link is there.
One last tiny one, just a typo… “Brenda Blethyn getS shot”
Jul 3rd, 2008
chris
I wasn’t sure about some of the suggestions above, but the more I listened and thought about it, the more I realised that every one was right. Huh – you guys…
(thanks)
Jul 3rd, 2008
max williams
Curious, what’s the obscure Moz reference?
Jul 3rd, 2008
chris
“Misguided Trousers” (If Google references are anything to go by, looks like HMHB have made the phrase as well-known as Moz!)
Jul 3rd, 2008
dj
a couple of small ones: is it not ‘with wattle and daub’ as a opposed to ‘from….’? and i think it’s “the mummers the poppers” (obviously a pun on the mamas and papas but designed to rhyme with coppers) and as a matter of interest does anyone own “the best of the coppers”?
Jul 4th, 2008
chris
I’ll go with “with”, as it were, although I’m struggling to tell on me £24.99 boombox from Argos. Hang on, you’re right, the live version makes it clearer.
As for “the mummers the poppers”, the whole thing is surely just conjecture, isn’t it? I mean, it could just as easily be “the mamas the papas”, it’s just that it’d be more amusing if it was “the mummers”. And he doesn’t seem to sing “poppers” to rhyme with “coppers” (the folks who contributed to the HMHB website – are you reading this? – didn’t seem to be able to decide, opting for both…).
Presumably “The Coppers” are The Copper Family, who definitely sing Trad. Arr. Tunes, and are involved in the excellent The Imagined Village. Neither have a “Best Of” AFAIK…
Jul 4th, 2008
Martin
I think Mummers is nailed on to be honest, but am open minded about Poppers/Papas.
It actually sounds like Mummers with a definite ‘u’ in there, and also Mummers fits in perfectly with the whole ‘Trad Arr’, village green, morris-dancing notion the songs is built on.
Jul 5th, 2008
simon smith
You know what? Nigel is not exactly Van fupping Morrison, why doesn`t someone ask him at Cornbury? He has offered up correct lyrics to fans before without devilment in his soul.
It`s the no-marks like Kevin Sampson, pompous know all `CAMRA men` and dimwits who think `Worried Man Blues` is a Slade song, that he dismisses with lies.
Jul 5th, 2008
Robert
“Check your SHIRTS, check your sheds, I think I’ve lost my mind.”
And I think that the HMHB website puts up both because in singing Mummers and Poppers he’s referencing The Mamas and the Papas…if that made sense.
Jul 15th, 2008
Paul F
Simon – I think you’ll find that “no-mark” Kevin Sampson is actually a friend (or at least an acquaintance) of Nigel’s (see Sampson’s “Extra Time”). I’m also assuming you wouldn’t refer to John Peel as a no-mark – another occasional victim of Nigel’s sense of humour.
Jul 16th, 2008
simon smith
He was until that Guardian stitch up job where he quoted Nigel as being ‘Half Man Half Biscuit’ in the way that Hucknall/Frame is/was Simply Red/Aztec Camera and that the rest were hired hands and had no input. I don’t suppose pretending to be Nigel to John Barnes endeared him to NB either. I’d say Sammo was a some time Paolo Hewitt to Nige’s Weller; Nigel will love that.
That Sammo fell for the It Ain’t Half Man Mum tease and that the mighty Peel always twigged the ‘Bernard Butler/Climie Fisher’ jokes is just a small reason why one is playing the last ‘Shitpacker 5′ single in Heaven and the other is a pissweasel fuckpuppet.
Extra Time is a bloody good read though.
Jul 16th, 2008
Paul F
Fair play Simon – and congratulations on introducing the phrase “pissweasel fuckpuppet” to the English language!
Jul 17th, 2008
Andrew Daley
The King of Thebes is PEntheus, not PAntheus.
Jul 19th, 2008
moo
Anybody know who/what Cathy Staniforth is/was?
Aug 7th, 2008
Niall
This place is an absolute goldmine. Well done Chris. Being Irish, I’d never have gotten “Mummers”, the Coppers (family) being a folk band, “From wattle and daub ‘neath a silv’ry moon” …not a chance in hell I’d have gotten any of them. I’ll not be busking this at Embankment tube station any time soon but I’ll be giving it a go in Galway in a couple of weeks and it’s great to tie up a few loose ends.
Oh and I haven’t a bulls notion who Cathy Stanisforth is or why she has a “Milk bank”? Sounds ante-natal.
Sep 21st, 2008
Charlie
One small thing (based on the Brampton Live version anyway), it goes:
“It fills me with joy to see joggers out moshers
It fills me with joy to see moshers out jogging”.
Nov 15th, 2008
Stewart
Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always assumed that “Poppers” was a reference to amyl nitrate, the swingers’ party drug of the ’70s. They were called poppers.
Dec 24th, 2008
Dave F.
Seasonal greetings to all.
Ah, poppers… A ‘high’ for 3 minutes, a headache for 3 hours.
Additional/replaced words:
Anyone can join in so I discarded my jeans
And played wine-maddened Pentheus, King of Thebes
And some Bloomsbury peripheral said I had the best line
Ms. Staniforth could be a Kathy with K, but how would we know?
Dec 30th, 2008
Chris The Siteowner
Right on all three counts – plus it’s “the” King of Thebes, I also noticed. Looks like I rather lost the plot on that verse.
Dec 30th, 2008
Coops
A milk bank is a place where women can donate breast milk which can be used in neo-natal units as mothers who have given birth prematurely often can’t produce enough milk to feed their babies. We used one when our son was born.
No idea who Cathy Stanisthorpe is either though!
Feb 4th, 2009
Robert
As somebody mentioned above, it’s definitely “check your shirts, check your sheds”
Apr 11th, 2009
Hedley Verity
“Roll The Square Arthur” is a reference to the Channel 4 film, “Arthur’s Hallowed Ground” where Jimmy Jewel played Arthur, a cantankerous old groundsman who wouldn’t produce a less than perfect cricket wicket and certainly didn’t mind what he said.
May 4th, 2009
Ben
I think there’s a little hidden away throw away line somewhere, can’t get the first bit of the couplet but there’s a definite “sad ‘Our Tune’ ” on one of the refrains.
May 6th, 2009
dj
i’m dragging this one back up!
“the mummers, the papas” they were the mamas and papas, so…..without the “and” why should it be papas over poppers? the reference is made with the sound rather than the inclusion of the correct “papas”.
i’m banging the drum for poppers
May 8th, 2009
Chris The Siteowner
I think one or two people will be thrilled to learn that it’s been confirmed as “the mummers, the poppers”…
Apr 16th, 2010
Al
Is it just me or does the Brenda Blethyn line refer to Outside Edge (also featuring Timothy Spall and Josie Lawrence)? It was a cricketing farce, and from memory Brenda Blethyn got shot in the first episode.
Oct 2nd, 2010
Ben
@Al, that’s what always leapt to my mind, although IMDB lists Blethyn as being in 4 episodes.
Oct 2nd, 2010
John Burscough
The debate still rages on…
Feb 7th, 2012
John Burscough
…though sadly without Cathy Staniforth.
Feb 7th, 2012
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