Lyr Req: The Sad Bombardier (Frank Loesser)

Subject: Could have hit a small demitasse
From: GUEST,Phil
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 08:24 PM

trying to track down lyrics for a WWII air corps drinking song. I recall two verses: "I could have hit a barrel, the old pickle barrel, I could have hit a small demitasse, But the pilot had his head up, his head up, his head up, the pilot has his head up his as--tronomical charts". Another verse was "I asked for a level, he banked like the devil, the run was a pure waste of gas, cause.....etc". There must be more verses but I've searched and searched - no joy. Anybody out there?

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SAD BOMBARDIER (Frank Loesser)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Apr 10 - 10:19 AM

I had to piece this together from many "snippets," so I'm not absolutely certain I got everything.

From The Complete Lyrics of Frank Loesser by Frank Loesser, Robert Kimball, Stephen Nelson (New York : Knopf, 2003), page 121-122:

"Miscellaneous songs of 1944-45"

THE SAD BOMBARDIER
Published. Copyrighted March 20, 1944.

VERSE
A sad bombardier am I today,
A sad bombardier without a shack.
And if you'd care to know
The cause of all my woe,
It's the stupid son of a bitch behind my back.

REFRAIN
1. Oh, the pilot had his head up,
His head up, —
He put me at the foot of the class.
For the pilot had his head up,
His head up, his head up.
The pilot had his head up his ass.

2. Bet your life I had my head down.
My head down, my head down,
A-staring at the hairs through the glass.
But the pilot had his head up,
His head up, his head up,
The pilot had his head up his ass.

3. When I asked him for a level,
He banked like the devil.
The run was just a plain waste of gas.
For the pilot had his head up,
His head up, his head up,
The pilot had his head up his ass.

4. Oh, I could have hit the barrel,
The old pickle barrel —
I could have hit a small demitasse.
But the pilot had his head up,
His head up, his head up,
The pilot had his head up his ass.

5. So if I become a private,
An old busted private,
I'll blame it on the snake in the grass:
The guy who had his head up,
His head up, his head up,
The guy who had his head up his ass.

6. But the hero of my story
Will fly on to glory —
You'll know him by his hat made of brass.
That's in case he gets his head up,
His head up, his head up,
In case he gets his head up his ass.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Could have hit a small demitasse
From: Charmion
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 08:43 AM

Wow, that's a great one.

Any notion of the tune?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Sad Bombardier (Frank Loesser)
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Oct 15 - 09:56 PM

Well, it's only 5 years later and rereading Catch 22, I thought again of this song. So I searched and the only hit was my 2010 post WITH AN ANSWER.

Thank you, Jim!

Phil S

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Sad Bombardier (Frank Loesser)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Oct 15 - 01:48 AM

Phil, check this thread later this week. I have the Loesser lyrics book at home, and I'll try to remember to check the book to see if Jim missed anything.

-Joe Offer on vacation-
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Sad Bombardier (Frank Loesser)
From: Lighter
Date: 31 Oct 15 - 08:01 AM

I bet they didn't play it much on the radio.