Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping-pong ball

Subject: I've got a head like a ping pong ball
From: Marion
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 03:20 PM

Hello all! Just because I'm feeling silly, here is a favourite campsong of mine. I can't decide whether this, Little Rabbit Fufu (with the chorus improved by starting "Little Rabbit Fufu, I don't like your attitude"), or Fish Heads is the best camp song of all.

The tune is the William Tell Overture, sometimes known as the Lone Ranger theme song. Try it, it works. The words in capital letters are held a little longer.

I've got a head like a ping pong ball,
I've got a head like a ping pong ball
I've got a head like a ping pong ball
HEAD... like a ping pong ball.

I've got a head like a ping pong ping pong ping pong ping pong ping pong ball
I've got a head like a ping pong ping pong ping pong ping pong BALL

Ping...ping ping...ping ping, ping ping ping ping, PONG!

I've got a head like a pong ping ball...

Use it wisely,

Marion

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From: MMario
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 03:32 PM

This information could be deadly in the incorrect hands. (I may just have to "leak" it to campers.....*eg*)

I can hear this being sung over, and over, and over....

MMario

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 05:23 PM

We know a song that will get on your nerves, get on your nerves, Get on your nerves. We know a song that will get on your nerves, Get on your, get on your nerves...

Or:

Blue bells are blue bells, Blue bells are blue. Blue bells are blue bells, Cos blue bells are blue. second verse, same as the first, little bit louder, little bit worse:

BLUE BELLS ARE BLUE BELLS, BLUE BELLS ARE BLUE......

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From: Mbo
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 05:30 PM

Hee hee! When I saw the thread name, I couldn't stop laughing. Reading thew lyrics made me laugh even more! Thanks for the contribution!

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From: paddymac
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 07:09 PM

Gee. I thought this thread was gonna be about hangover cures. Sounds more like it could be about causing hangovers.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From: raredance
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 07:31 PM

This delightful? song served as the title for a book of similar such by Marcia & Jon Pankake, "Joe's Got A Head Like a Ping Pong Ball". The book was originally published in 1988 as "A Prairie Home Companion Folk Song Book" complete with forward by Garrison Keillor. Most of the songs were sent in by radio listeners over several years in the mid 80's. The book title was changed when it was reprinted in the early 90's.

rich r

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From: Bugsy
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 07:58 PM

This song should be in Anthems are us.

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 09:44 PM

Believe it or not dept.: If a baby falls and hits his/her head, sometimes because the bones are flexible the skull will break in such a way that there's a little round depression or dimple in the bone. This is usually not a very bad injury. The medical term for it is "ping-pong ball fracture." Honest.
But back to music, there's a similar song that arose spontaneously one night at a holiday party when I was at college. For some reason it was never published.

Dashing through the snow (x6)
Dashing, dashing through the snow
Dashing through the snow -- Oh!

CHORUS

Dashing through, dashing through, dashing through the snow
Dashing, dashing through the snow
Dashing through the snow
(repeat)

Aloha,
Mark Cohen

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From:
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 11:14 PM

To which of "head" of the human anatomy do you refer?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From: GUEST,pavane
Date: 17 Dec 03 - 07:22 AM

Just spotted this thread. My sister used to sing this slightly differently, and with an extra verse

Verse 1
Dai Jones had a head like a ping-pong ball etc (Sorry Wales)

Verse 2
Dai Jones had a pair of flip-flap feet
Dai Jones had a pair of flip-flap feet
Dai Jones had a pair of flip-flap feet
Dai Jones - with the flip flap feet

Dai Jones had a pair of flip flap flip flap flip flap flip flap flip flap feet
Dai Jones had a pair of flap flip flap flip flap flip flap flip feet
(note the subtle change from flip-flap to flap-flip!)

Flip, flip, flip .....ext

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From: Schantieman
Date: 17 Dec 03 - 07:56 AM

The fly sat on the wall.
Second verse: same as the first - The fly sat on the wall.
Third verse: same as the first - The fly sat on the wall.
Fourth....

(I could go on but you've probably got the idea by now.)

Another idiot song from Scouting days. My brother and two friends hold (uncorroborated) the world record for this song. They claim to have reached 3786 verses during an Advanced Scout Standard 12-mile hike in the vicinity of Salisbury, Wiltshire circa 1979. Any other claimants?

Steve

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From: Joe_F
Date: 17 Dec 03 - 06:45 PM

At St Andrews University, in 1959, it was "The princ has a head like a Ping Pong ball" (princ = principal).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping pong bal
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 17 Dec 03 - 06:59 PM

When I was a girl guide in the 60's it used to be POP'S got a head like a ping-pong ball, but don't ask me why!
Another one based on "classical" music was to the tune of the Soldiers' Chorus from Gounod's "Faust":
Oh dearie, look at your Uncle Jim,
He's in the duck pond learning how to swim,
First he does the breast stroke, then he does the side,
And now he's in the deep end, swimming against the tide.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping-pong ball
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 04:32 AM

I heard this at Scout camp (C1960)as:
"A guy had a game with a ping pong ball
A guy had a game with a ping pong ball
A guy had a game with a ping pong ball with a piiiiiing, pong ball
With a ping pong ping pong ping pong ping pong ping pong ping pong ping pong ball
With a ping pong ping pong ping pong ping pong ping pong ping pong ping pong ball
ping pong ping pong ping pong ping ...etc"

second verse merely reversed the use of 'ping' & 'pong' causing mas confusion

Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping-pong ball
From: Abuwood
Date: 19 Dec 03 - 04:08 AM

I first heard this in the 80s with a Norwegian Tensing Choir. "Johnny's" got a head like a ping pong ball was used for choir warm up, singing very fast to practise diction and adding a slide line to the verse" ping png ping pong ping pong ping pong ball" to take it down a note or two then sung again and again at a lower and lower pitch to expand the chior's voice range. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious was used in the same way with the umdiddle idlle idlle umdiddle aye , umdiddle idlle idlle umdiddle aye used to take it up a pitch. Some universities Revelation Rock Gospel choirs still use them now. I thought of suggesting it for Shellback Chorus but I am sure they would all laugh at me!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping-pong ball
From: Snuffy
Date: 19 Dec 03 - 08:32 AM

So no change there then, Alison! :-))

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping-pong ball
From: GUEST,Dai Jones
Date: 20 Sep 13 - 03:38 AM

Surely the essential info is that it's sung to the tune of the William Tell Overture, as in "The MOM Song"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping-pong ball
From: Paul Reade
Date: 20 Sep 13 - 04:46 AM

I understand that one of the "warm-up" exercises for a choir is to sing "Papa's got a head like a ping pong ball" to the tune of the William Tell Overture. Practice only - never sung in public.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping-pong ball
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 20 Sep 13 - 04:53 AM

"The essential info" re the tune was given in the original post back in 1999, Dai!

My campfire singing of this would have been late 50s - early 60s.

Subject: ADD: The Mom Song (Anita Renfroe)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Sep 13 - 01:03 PM

THE MOM SONG
(Anita Renfroe)

Get up now, get up now, get up out of bed,
Wash your face, brush your teeth, comb your sleepy head.
Here's your clothes and your shoes, hear the words I said,
Get up now, get up and make your bed.

Are you hot, are you cold, are you wearing that?
Where's your books and your lunch and your homework at?
Grab your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat.
Don't forget, you've gotta feed the cat.

Eat your breakfast, the experts tell us it's the most important meal of all,
Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall.
Please remember the orthodontist will be seeing you at three today,
Don't forget your piano lesson is this afternoon so you must play.

Don't shovel, chew slowly, but hurry, the bus is here,
Be careful, come back here, did you wash behind your ears?
Play outside, don't play rough, would you just play fair?
Be polite, make a friend, don't forget to share,
Work it out, wait your turn, never take a dare,
Get along, don't make me come down there.

Clean your room, fold your clothes, put your stuff away,
Make your bed, do it now, do we have all day?
Were you born in a barn? Would you like some hay?
Can you even hear a word I say?

Answer the phone, Get off the phone,
Don't sit so close, turn it down, no texting at the table.
No more computer time tonight,
Your ipod's my ipod if you don't listen up.

Where you going and with whom and what time do you think you're coming home?
Saying thank you, please, excuse me, makes you welcome everywhere you roam.
You'll appreciate my wisdom someday when you're older and you're grown.
Can't wait 'til you have a couple little children of your own.

You'll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly,
But right now I thank you not to roll your eyes at me.
Close your mouth when you chew, we'd appreciate,
Take a bite, maybe two, of the stuff you hate.
Use your fork, do not burp or I'll set you straight.
Eat the food I put upon your plate.

Get an A, get in the door, don't be smart with me,
Get a grip, get in here on count to three,
Get a job, Get a life, get a PhD, get a dose of....

I don't care who started it,
You're grounded until you're 36,
Get your story straight and tell the truth for once, for heaven sake.

And, if all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?
If I've said once I've said it at least a thousand times before,
That you're too old to act this way,
It must be your father's DNA.

Look at me when I am talking, stand up straighter when you walk.
A place for everything, and everything must be in place.
Stop crying or I'll give you something real to cry about.

Oh

Brush your teeth, wash your face, get your PJs on.
Get in bed, get a hug, say a prayer with Mom.
Don't forget I love you (kiss)

And tomorrow we will do this all again
Because a Mom's work never ends.

You don't need the reason why,
Because, Because, Because, Because,
I said so, I said so, I said so, I said so.
I'm the Mom, the Mom, the Mom, the Mom, the Mom!

Ta-Da!


...to the tune of the William Tell Overture, of course.

YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYukEAmoMCQ

---

As one would expect, there's a response: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce9b-o8RqOM

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping-pong ball
From: GUEST,judysisi
Date: 07 Apr 14 - 04:21 PM

But there's more lines: ? I love you, I love you best of all?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I've got a head like a ping-pong ball
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Apr 14 - 03:39 PM

The version that I learned from my Welsh uncle was as the original except it was "Dai" rather than "I've"