Aug. 04, 2005 - 4:35 p.m.
I am euphoric. I hope that�s the right word�
I just found the lyrics to a song that my brother and I used to dance to when we were really young. It was called �My Old Man�s a Dustman� And Lonnie Donegan sang it. I had to be around 2 or so when I fist heard the song and it just made me want to dance. My brother would put it on the record player in the dining room, then we�d hide on the stairs during the beginning quite part and then as soon at the music started we�d dart out and dance around the living room. Sometimes we�d dress up and do little skits while it was playing. We didn�t know what dustman was. We didn�t know what any of the jokes meant, we knew that they were jokes because the audience laughed. It was a rip-roaring good song. We would play it over and over again year after year until we just got too big. I think we stopped playing it when I was in second grade or so. And you have to remember that my brother is three years older than me... It was also a family tradition thing. All of my older siblings sang and danced to it in their time. And my younger ones too.
Now I just need to find a recording of the song.
Here are the lyrics�
(the quiet part sung like a sad ballad with a single fiddle)
Now here�s a little story,
to tell it is a must
About an unsung hero
that moves away your dust
Some people make a fortune
Other�s earn a mint
My old man don�t earn much
In fact�he�s a flippin�skint! (I don�t remember this part�_
(This is were it gets crazy n fast!)
Oh!
My old man�s a dustman he wears a dustman�s hat
He wears cor blimey trousers and he lives in a council flat.
He looks a proper narner in his great big hob nailed boots
He�s got such a job to pull them up that he calls them daisy roots!
(The last two sentences were hard to understand an we usually made up our own)
Some folks give tips at Christmas and some of them forget
So when he picks up their bins he spills some on the steps
Now one old man got nasty and to the council wrote
Next time my old man went �round there he punched him up the throat!
Oh! My old man�s a dustman, he wears a dustman�s hat
He wears cor blimey trousers and he lives in a council flat.
(from the audience or a band member)
I say, I say lad! I found a police dog in my dustbin!
(How do you know he�s a police dog?)
He had a policeman with him! (laughter ensues)
Though my old man�s a dustman he�s got a heart of gold
He got married recently though he�s 86 years old.
We said �Ear! Hang on Dad you�re getting past your prime�
He said �Well when you get my age you do it just to pass the time!�
(laughter ensues)
Oh! My old man�s a dustman he wears a dustman�s hat
He wears cor blimey trousers and he lives in a council flat.
(from the audience or a band member)
I say I say I say! My dustbins full of lilies
(Well throw them away then!)
I can�t! Lilly�s wearing them! (laughter ensues)
Now one day while in a hurry he missed a lady�s bin
He hadn�t gone but a few yards when she chased after him
(in a fake woman�s voice:)
�What game do you think you�re playing at?� she cried right from the heart
�You�ve missed me, am I too late?�
(in regular voice:)
�No, jump up on the cart!� (ooo so funny!)
Oh! My old man�s a dustman he wears a dustman�s hat
He wears cor blimey trousers and he lives in a council flat
(from audience or a band member)
I say I say I say.
(What? You again?)
My dustbin�s full with toadstools
(How do you know it�s full?)
�Cos there�s not mushroom inside! (HA HA!)
He found a tiger�s head one day, nailed to a piece of wood
The tiger looked quite miserable but I suppose it should
Just then from out a window, a voice began to wail
He said �Oi! Where�s me tiger head?�
Four foot from his tail! (he he he)
Oh! My old man�s a dustman he wears a dustman�s hat
He wears cor blimey trousers and he lives in a council flat.
Next time you see a dustman looking all pale and sad
Don�t kick him in the dustbin! It might be�my�ol�.dad!!!!
And scene.
I swear the amount of time I spent dancing to that song must equal years!
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