Article: 834 of rec.music.dementia Subject: Re: What is Tom Lehrer's self censored lyric? From: John Wasser Newsgroups: rec.music.dementia Posted-And-Mailed: yes Message-ID: <091020011900174021%NewsgroupPosting@John-Wasser.com> References: <9pu8l8$qqa$1@news.doit.wisc.edu> <35q5st0ca837mveea4c5c50ju4g3nrn2fi@4ax.com> <3bc31488.859217694@news.earthlink.net> <9pvjde$oos$1@news.doit.wisc.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 8bit User-Agent: YA-NewsWatcher/5.0.1 Lines: 68 Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2001 22:59:33 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.147.250.73 X-Complaints-To: abuse@mediaone.net X-Trace: typhoon.ne.mediaone.net 1002668373 24.147.250.73 (Tue, 09 Oct 2001 18:59:33 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2001 18:59:33 EDT Organization: Road Runner Path: news.meer.net!sea-read.news.verio.net!dfw-artgen.news.verio.net!dfw-peer.news.verio.net!news.verio.net!crtntx1-snh1.gtei.net!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!feed2.news.rcn.net!rcn!chnws02.mediaone.net!chnws06.ne.mediaone.net!24.128.8.70!typhoon.ne.mediaone.net.POSTED!not-for-mail Xref: archive.mv.meer.net rec.music.dementia:834 [[ This message was both posted and mailed. ]] In article <9pvjde$oos$1@news.doit.wisc.edu>, Steve Mading wrote: > T.D. Lassagne wrote: > > :> There are a few other instances of this kind of thing in dementia...I > :> don't remember if there's actually a "real" lyric for the ****s in: > :> > :> "But you ought to thank me before I die > :> For the gravel in your gut and the spit in your eye, > :> 'Cause I'm the **** that named you Sue." > > Then of course there's always "Polka-Dot Undies", which relies on the > audience's tendency to mentally think ahead and fill in their own > rhyming words. Without the anticipation that the next word should > rhyme, the actual lyrics are quite tame and uninteresting. The point > of it was that any vulgarity was purely inserted by the mind of the > listener, so nobody can complain. I love that song. Similar is "The Clean Song" sung by Oscar Brand (who sounds alot like Pete Seeger): There was a young sailor who looked through the glass, and spied a fair mermaid with scales on her... island where seagulls fly over their nests. She combed the long hair that hung over her... shoulders and caused her to tickle and itch. The sailor cried out "There's a beautiful... mermaid, a-sitting out there on the rocks", The crew came a'running a-grabbing their... glasses and crowded four deep to the rail, all eager to share in this fine piece of... news which the captain soon heard from the watch. He tied down the wheel and he reached for his... crackers and cheese which he kept near the door. in case he might someday encounter a... mermaid. He knew he must use all his wits Crying "Throw out a line. We'll lasso her... flippers and then we will certainly find If mermaids are better before or... Be brave my good fellows." The captain then said. "With fortune we'll break Through her mer-maiden... heading to starboard they tacked with dispatch. And caught that fair mermaid Just under her... elbows and hustled her down below decks, And each took a turn at her feminine... setting her free at the end of the farce, She splashed in the waves, falling flat on her... after a while one man noticed some scabs, Soon they broke out with the pox and the... scratching with fury, cursing with spleen, This song may be dull but it's certainly clean.