28 Mar 2010
Papal entourage, give us a song
Do you have certain HMHB refrains which pop into your head at inopportune moments? For me, the most common (for years) has been the chorus (above) from this one. I swear it’ll probably be the last thing I hear as I take my own final Stannah. Perhaps because his name is linked with rising from the dead, Chester Barnes (brilliant character, by the way) would appear to be still going strong. Anita Roddick, alas, did not fare so well. Anyway, I thought I’d better do this one before any more kind correspondents send it in. Thanks to Bob, Richard, Daryl, gNick, John A and Grim
See lyrics to This Leaden Pall
15 Letters Sent:
Max Williams
“Spartan and monastic”? I always wondered what that line was, i never would have figured that out. Excellent work!
Mar 29th, 2010
@steve_nicholls
There’s a definite “ssshhh!” after the Papal Entourage chorus.
Just as there is in the football chant.
(maybe in parenthesis)
Mar 29th, 2010
Neil G
Surely that should be ‘take’ my final Stannah, rather than ‘turn’?
Mar 29th, 2010
dagenham dave
I agree with Neil G, I’ve always heard ‘take’.
Mar 29th, 2010
Dave Cooper
I’m so glad that “spartan and monastic” is correct, it’s what I;ve always sung but I’ve never been sure.
I think “take” as well, makes more sense.
Mar 29th, 2010
Alex B
Another vote for ‘take’. It’s a joy to have finally found my inner-pedant and be able to contribute…
Mar 29th, 2010
Chris The Siteowner
Funnily enough, I also thought it was “take”, but the majority of the people who sent in lyrics (see above) disagreed, so I thought I’d go with what they said, and see what the response was. I’ll take it we want it changed then.
Mar 29th, 2010
Charles Exford
As an adjective meaning “simple & without luxuries”, spartan shouldn’t really have a capital, as it’s derived from “Spartan” but now has a meaning far removed from “from or pertaining to Sparta”.
Before anyone starts drawing parallels, or drawing the Venetian blinds, I wouldn’t bother, nothing’s that much like “spartan” in the way it has lost its capital, except maybe things like china dolls and turkeys.
Mar 29th, 2010
dagenham dave
Funnily enough, I also thought it was “take”, but the majority of the people who sent in lyrics (see above) disagreed, so I thought I’d go with what they said, and see what the response was. I’ll take it we want it changed then.
yes please Chris
Mar 29th, 2010
Dave F.
I’m going with ‘take’, as does the lyric book.
I’m also going to stand shoulder to shoulder with Exxo with the lower case ‘s’. There are now two clear meanings for spartan & NB is clearly referring to it as frugal.
Another example of a word that often gets capitalized is philistine.
The book has an apostrophe in ’round to indicate the abbreviation of around. I agree with this.
It also has the year as 2153 which is clearly a typo.
Mar 29th, 2010
Dave Betts
I’m going to out myself… I actually like Tales from Topographic Oceans as well as most of The Clash’s output (except of course the majority of Sandanista which is bilge). I’ll understand if I’m excommunicated (but not by the Pope or indeed his entourage).
What would a papal entourage’s song be? The one about Slipknot perhaps?
Mar 30th, 2010
Charles Exford
> What would a papal entourage’s song be? The one about Slipknot perhaps?
‘Vatican Broadside’ is appropriate in so far as it is basically a Liverpool footy song, “The famous Man United went to Rome to see the Pope”, which in turn was based on the fact that John Paul the Second had declared himself to be a Liverpool fan. So Liverpudlians like me would be happy if it was the same tune as the one about Slipknot, but with different words. United fans probably wouldn’t mind either cos they just gleefully sing exactly the same chorus back at us anyway:
“Who the f*** are Man United, Who the f*** are Man United,
Who the f*** are Man United, and the Reds go marching on, on, on.”
NB57 on the other hand has no axe to grind either way about United or Liverpool, so he might prefer to elicit one of Pope Benny’s favourite Bayern Beerfest folky thigh-slapping tunes ?
[I happened to be in St. Peter's Square one Wenesday morning in 1982 and everybody was waiting in hushed anticipation for the Pope's weekly appearance, when suddenly over the tannoy it said, in several languages, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Moscow State Circus are accompanying the pope today". Most of the circus then processed from out behind the basilica, acrobats tumbling, clowns juggling, circus music blaring, in front of old JP II, who was chuckling away in his popemobile. He had a sense of humour that one].
Mar 30th, 2010
Third rate Les
> he might prefer to elicit one of Pope Benny’s favourite Bayern Beerfest folky thigh-slapping tunes ?
Perhaps “Paparazzi”
(an unusual example of a good German joke there – as in “Papa Ratzi”). (as in his name, Ratzinger). (does it spoil it to explain it in that much detail?).
I read his book, you know. Good stuff, although could have done with a few more jokes.
Mar 30th, 2010
celery
I don’t hear an ‘i’ in ‘is’ in the line ‘Chester Barnes is risen…’, perhaps it should be written as ‘Chester Barnes’s risen…’ which would also encompass the possibility that the word that is shortened could be intended as ‘has’ – as in ‘Chester Barnes has risen…’
Similarly there are no two clear ‘t’ sounds together in the line ‘Granddaughter doesn’t want to know…’ I’m loathe to suggest ‘wanna’ as an alternative… but how about ‘wanta’? As in ‘Granddaughter doesn’t wanta know…’
Or it could all just be my cloth ears… in which case, feel free to ignore me…
Mar 30th, 2010
Alan
For some reason I apparently have a sub-Tourettes habit of uttering ‘Static. Naturally.’ at random moments.
Jul 28th, 2010
Add Your Bit: