Lyr ADD: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: GerryM
Date: 09 Nov 21 - 05:07 PM

Utterly unrelated, but I am reminded of a chunk of Tom Lehrer's Lobachevsky:

I have a friend in Minsk,
Who has a friend in Pinsk,
Whose friend in Omsk
Has friend in Tomsk
With friend in Akmolinsk.
His friend in Alexandrovsk
Has friend in Petropavlovsk,
Whose friend somehow
Is solving now
The problem in Dnepropetrovsk.

And when his work is done –––
Haha! ––– begins the fun:
From Dnepropetrovsk to Petropavlovsk,
By way of Iliysk and Novorossiysk,
To Alexandrovsk to Akmolinsk
To Tomsk to Omsk to Pinsk to Minsk
To me the news will run....

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Nov 21 - 07:48 PM

Joe - do cleanup

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: GUEST,Ormonde Waters
Date: 29 Jun 21 - 07:37 AM

I remember Jamie Stewart from Glasgow used to sing this at the Bunbury Folk Club in the 70s. His version was:
We are from Omsk and we make bombsk
Omsk bombsk is the best bombsk
Best bombsk comes from Omsk

Then “We are Muscovites and we take delights...”
Then “we are from Vladivostok/we make warm woolly bed socks...”

Tune was the Volga Boatmen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: Mrrzy
Date: 26 Jul 16 - 09:07 AM

I am reminded of "and the copskies all know Dad"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: GUEST,mo cohen
Date: 26 Jul 16 - 06:35 AM

i definitely heard redd and martin sing sonya in the troubador in the mid 60's

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 30 Apr 14 - 07:50 AM

"...written by Dom Benedict in the 60's to highlight the absurdity of the fear that fuelled the Cold War"

When you really think about it, there's nothing funny about bombs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Apr 14 - 08:04 PM

http://silverghost.dyndns.org/wwsongs/we_are_from_omsk.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 29 Apr 14 - 02:53 AM

Thanks for that Guest - every little helps.
Does anybody remember any of these songs made to the tune, 'The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo'?
I have a number of disconnected verses, but have never been able to disentangle them
ie
As I walk around the Kremlin with an independent air,
You can hear them all declare, "He's at least a Commissar".
Oh the things they'd do if they only knew
Of the wicked things I plan to do.
I'm the man who does the dirty work Trotsky.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Apr 14 - 05:47 PM

Another verse to Jim's version was:

We were sent to jail;
But when we were set free,
We used our beautiful bomsk
To blast the bourgeoisie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 28 Apr 14 - 12:08 PM

"Volga Boatmen doesn't fit at all, Jim."
Charmion
The tune I know to V.B. does; the one that begins , "Yo, heave ho"...
Do I have that wrong?
What I forgot to add was that each verse ends

V1
...... great big beautiful bomb -ski, ski
Repeat line.... ski, Ski.
Etc
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 28 Apr 14 - 11:55 AM

Janet Elizabeth's version definitely goes to the tune of the Volga Boatmen!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: Charmion
Date: 18 Apr 14 - 03:49 PM

Volga Boatmen doesn't fit at all, Jim.

A Life on the Ocean Wave does, however.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 18 Apr 14 - 09:08 AM

I knew it as:
When Serge and I were young
We used to live in Omsk,
And there we spent our time
Making great big beautiful bomsk.

Then Serge and I grew up
And went to live in Tomsk
And there we spent more time
Making great big beautiful bomsk.

Then Serge and I were caught
And exiled to Murmansk
And there we spent our time
Making revolutionary plansk

But we shall not forget
Our revolutionary plotsk
And we shall not forget
Our exiled Comrade Trotskeeeeeee.
(tune The Volga Boatmen)

Used to have half a dozen of these at one time
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: GUEST,SqueezeMe
Date: 18 Apr 14 - 08:51 AM

Definitely on Vera's Bald Eagle LP, Jon.
What a brilliant songwriter and entertainer she was.
Don't think the OP's song was hers though....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: GUEST,Jon Bartlett
Date: 17 Apr 14 - 11:58 PM

Kevin Shiels notes "And someone, possibly the Omsk song singer, use to introduce a song claiming it was called "The Russian Steppes are cold and bare, they have no escalators"

This is a line from Vera Johnson's "The Minsk from Pinsk", and probably on one of her LPs (either "Bald Eagle" or "That's What I Believe".

Jon Bartlett

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: GUEST,triphazard
Date: 17 Apr 14 - 11:42 PM

Don't think they Tony Smith did write it, also you forgot to mention the other half of Kick the Cat my dad John, I will ask him for info on this and post it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 21 Jan 13 - 10:05 AM

Yes, it's a Middle Bar (Sidmouth) favourite from Janet Elizabeth. There were so many serious songs written about bombsk in the 50s and 60s, I can see that some light relief might have been necessary!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 01:24 PM

Thanks for singing this at the All-Day Sussex Singaround yesterday - it always floors me. Your delivery with the Cossack folded arms and deadly serious expression is a treat.

Valmai (Lewes)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: Janet Elizabeth
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 12:53 PM

This has been interesting to read. The version I sing is below. Chief characteristics are that the second line repeats the name of the town, Murmask in the town for Tanksk (note the extra k)

Vee are from Omsk
In Omsk vee make Bombsk
All ze best bomsk are commink from Omsk
In Omsk vee make ze best bombsk
Ze best bombsk are Omsk Bombsk
Over all the vorreld, ze very best bombsk are Omsk Bomsk.

Murmansk - Tanksk
(are)) Moscovites , Mocsovites make Satellites
Irkutsk - 'aircuts
Vladivostock - voolley bedsocks.

Ibelieve it was written by Dom Benedict in the 60's to highlight the absurdity of the fear that fuelled the Cold War.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jan 11 - 04:55 PM

"Sonya, Sonya, the law is at the door (repeat X3, third repeat with obbligato on last word)/Prussic acid's in the wine (Hey!)" was the chorus to the, "When were were back in our homesk, we went to school at Omsk....etc" song. I can confirm that Martin and Redd were certainly guilty of producing this 'can't get it out of my head' song.
The lovely Zeldy, she being the cousin of a school chum of mine and who later became a white witch who taught that subject at evening classes, was an innocent bystander and sitting in the audience with me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: Joe_F
Date: 19 Jan 10 - 06:47 PM

I heard (long ago)

Me 'n' my brother Tomsk
Used to live in Omsk.
We spend our time making nuclear bombsk.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Are from Omsk (We make best bombsk)
From: GUEST,Shard
Date: 19 Jan 10 - 06:07 PM

I heard it sung in the Youth Hostels in Scotland in the mid to late 1950s, or possibly early 1960s. The singers were generally English - not making a point about that other than I don't think it was known in Scotland.

One of of the verses, as I remember, had a line about now being the Commissar or Omsk, or, possibly, Tomsk, and therefore no longer in the business of making bombsk.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 22 Dec 09 - 08:58 PM

Thanks, all, for contributions and memories.

Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 22 Dec 09 - 03:43 AM

There was a phase for "Russian" songs at the time in CSH IIRC. One I recall had the lines

Sonya Sonya the law is at the door
(repeated twice)
Prussic Acid's in the wine!

And someone, possibly the Omsk song singer, use to introduce a song claiming it was called "The Russsian Steppes are cold and bare, they have no escalators".

Possible performers/writers of such items from names in my memory at that time include Curly Goss and a couple who sang at the Cellar called (I think) Zelda and Plonk! I wouldn't exclude Martin Winsor and Redd Sullivan from involvement either.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: Girl Friday
Date: 21 Dec 09 - 09:03 AM

I stand corrected. The style is so typical of Kick The Cat, I thought it was theirs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: GUEST,Alison Scott
Date: 21 Dec 09 - 03:53 AM

But having read the thread more closely I see that Kevin also remembers it from CSH in the 60s.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: GUEST,Alison Scott
Date: 21 Dec 09 - 03:50 AM

The person who believes this was new for 'Children in Need' a few years ago -- why do you think this? Various people have told me that particular people wrote it, but with no supporting data. I learnt it from Phil Allcock sometime between 1986 and 1988, and have been trying to track down its origin ever since. Phil had no idea and had learnt it in the oral tradition; he tacked on the title "On the Specialisation of Industrial Sites in the Glorious Soviet Union". I sang it to my mother who said she knew it from the sixties, but with no more information -- of course she could have been mistaken.

Subject: Lyr Add: WE ARE FROM OMSK
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Dec 09 - 02:38 AM

WE ARE FROM OMSK

We are from Omsk
We make bombsk
All the best bombsk are made in Omsk
Omsk bombsk are best bombsk
The best bombsk are Omsk bombsk
We are from Omsk and we make bombsk.

We are from Mansk
We make tanks
All the best tanks are made in Mansk
Mansk tanks are best tanks
The best tanks are Mansk tanks
We are from Mansk and we make tanks.

We are Muscovites
We make satellites
All the best satellites are made by Muscovites
Muscovites satellites are best satellites
The best satellites are Muscovites satellites
We are Muscovites and we make satellites.

We are from Vladivostok
We make woolly bedsocks
All the best woolly bedsocks are made in Vladivostok
Vladivostok woolly bedsocks are best woolly bedsocks
The best woolly bedsocks are Vladivostok woolly bedsocks
We are from Vladivostok and we make woolly bedsocks.

We are from Hankow
We write thoughts of Mao
All the best thoughts of Mao are written in Hankow
Hankow thoughts of Mao are the best thoughts of Mao
The best thoughts of Mao are Hankow thoughts of Mao
We are from Hankow and we write thoughts of Mao.

We are from Kiev
And we are radioactive.


from
http://silverghost.dyndns.org/wwsongs/we_are_from_omsk.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: Girl Friday
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 01:06 PM

This song was written for Orpington Friday Folk's Children In Need Night some years ago, if not written for it, I am sure it was its firs outing. The song was written by one Tony Smith, late of Kick The Cat. Kick The Cat performed as Catapella, with tony and Lesley. Tony left South London for Manchester, which is why the song has surfaced in
Lancashire.
Here's another bit:

We are from Yrkutz, we give best haircuts
Best haircuts are coming from Yrkutz.

We are Muscovites, we make the best satelites

etc. etc.

Not sure of spelling there, but you get the picture.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 08:54 AM

Elizabeth Rimmington sings this, and I think she learnt it from Capella... (Tony and Lesley).

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 07:11 AM

Guru - that seems to work with the way the tune goes in my head - and ear-worm is very apt!

Jon - "Vladivostok....best wooly bedsocks" may indeed be what Ken sang - the "ballcocks" rhyme may have been suggested by the two hours I spent in the loft last night trying to trace a leak from the cold-water tank.

I think I've seen a reference to the Vancouver Morris Men Song Book before, but Google comes up with nothing - except an ad in the sidebar for "IncomesI", site for modern mummer's plays from the pen of - Jon Bartlett! Small world.

Thanks, all.

Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 04:46 AM

It was certainly being sung by someone at the Cellar CSH when I started to go there in Jack and Margaret King's days, mid 60's so dates before then.

The person who sang it then may have been the "author" but my grey matter can't dig out a name/gender.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: My guru always said
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 03:58 AM

Acually, now you've been kind enough to put this ear-worm in my head, the way I've heard it sung is:

We are from Omsk, we make the best bombs
All the best bombs are coming from Omsk
In Omsk we make the best bombs
The very best bombs are Omsk bombs
All the very best bombs are coming from Omsk

I'm sure there are loads of versions, but now I can't stop humming it *grin*

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: My guru always said
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 03:53 AM

Yes Jon, yours is the way I know it, especially 'woolly bed-socks', though I've heard Murmansk. Haven't heard the 'men-in-bed' verse though *grin*
Hil

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 02:28 AM

Slightly different:

We are from Omsk
We make the best best bombsk
Omsk bombsk are the very best bombsk
The very best bomsk are Omsk bomsk.

Also Leningrad (dates the song, doesn't it?) = best men-in-bed
Vladivostok = woolly bed-socks
Gdansk = tanks (I know, it's Poland)

A fuller set is in the VMM [Vancouver Morris Men] Songbook which is not here right now, so I can't quote it.

Jon Bartlett

Subject: Lyr Req: We are from Omsk; We make best bombs
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 12:18 AM

Anybody have any info about this song? Ken Kershaw sang it at the Moorbrook (Preston, Lancs) session on Friday night last, but I neglected to get any more details from him, and it may be some time before our visits there coincide again.

The song went to the tune (more or less) of The Volga Boatmen, first verse went like this:-

We are from Omsk
We make best bombs
Best bombs come from Omsk
Omsk bombs are best bombs
(not sure if there should be two more lines here? Possibly
Omsk bombs are best bombs
Best bombs come from Omsk)
We make best bombs
We are from Omsk

The song continued in similar vein for:-
Murmansk (best tanks)
Muscovites (best Satellites)
Irkutsk (best haircuts)
Vladivostok (best bloody ballcocks)
and probably a couple of other cities I've forgotten.

Any info (author? date ['60s?] further cities?) appreciated.

Ross