The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #10366   Message #3528261
Posted By: beardedbruce
20-Jun-13 - 08:37 AM
Thread Name: WWII songs
Subject: RE: WWII songs
I still like this one- ( lyrics from older thread)

I can relate to it by experience...




THE THING-UMMY-BOB (THAT'S GONNA WIN THE WAR)
(Written by David Heneker & Gordon Thompson, 1942)

Arthur Askey
Gracie Fields

SPOKEN: You've heard of Florence Nightingale, Grace Darling and the rest.
You've all seen Greta Garbo and her bosom friend, Mae West;
But there's a little lady I want you all to meet.
She's working on munitions and she lives just down the street.

She can't pretend to be a great celebrity,
But still, she's most important in her way.
The job she has to do may not seem like much to you,
But all the same, I'm very proud to say:

SUNG: She's the girl that makes the thing
That drills the hole that holds the spring
That drives the rod that turns the knob
That works the thing-ummy-bob.
She's the girl that makes the thing
That holds the oil that oils the ring
That takes the shank that moves the crank
That works the thing-ummy-bob.

It's a ticklish sort of job
Making a thing for a thing-ummy-bob,
Especially when you don't know what it's for;
But it's the girl that makes the thing
That drills the hole that holds the spring
That works the thing-ummy-bob that makes the engines roar;
And it's the girl that makes the thing
That holds the oil that oils the ring
That works the thing-ummy-bob that's going to win the war.

SPOKEN: She's not what you would call a heroine at all.
I don't suppose you'll even know her name;
And though she'll never boast of her important post,
She strikes a blow for Britain just the same.

(REPEAT THE SUNG PORTION ABOVE.)

I thank you.

*****

VARIATION AS RECORDED BY GRACIE FIELDS:


SPOKEN: I can't pretend to be a great celebrity,
But still, I'm quite important in me way.
The job I have to do may not sound much to you,
But all the same, I'm very proud to say:

SUNG: I'm the girl that makes the thing
That drills the hole that holds the ring
That drives the rod that turns the knob
That works the thing-ummy-bob
I'm the girl that makes the thing
That holds the oil that oils the ring
That takes the shank that moves the crank
That works the thing-ummy-bob.

It's a ticklish sort of job
Making a thing for a thing-ummy-bob,
Especially when you don't know what it's for;
But it's the girl that makes the thing
That drills the hole that holds the ring
That makes the thing-ummy-bob that makes the engines roar;
And it's the girl that makes the thing
That holds the oil that oils the ring
That makes the thing-ummy-bob that's going to win the war.

SPOKEN: I'm not what you would call a heroine, at all.
I don't suppose you'd even know me name.
But though I'll never boast of my important post,
I'll strike a blow for freedom just the same.

(MUSIC)
That works the thing-ummy-bob
(MUSIC)
That works the thing-ummy-bob

It's a ticklish sort of job
Making a thing for a thing-ummy-bob,
Especially when you don't know what it's for;
But it's the girl that makes the thing
That drills the hole that holds the ring
That makes the thing-ummy-bob that makes the engines roar;
And it's the girl that makes the thing
That holds the oil that oils the ring
That makes the thing-ummy-bob that's going to win the war.

It is an' all.