Lyr Req: A Little Bit of Heaven (military parody)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Little Bit of Heaven (military parody)
From: Lighter
Date: 05 Jun 16 - 09:08 PM

The best I can do is cite Squadron Leader C. H. Ward-Jackson whose "Airman's Song Book" (1945) defines "peechi" in the song as "presently, soon."

Arabic? Hindi? Parsee? Beats me!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Little Bit of Heaven (military parody)
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jun 16 - 06:51 PM

Lighter: You identify "peechi" as 'soon', however the only reference to that word I can find is a dam in Kerala India. In my dad's mind it was 'peachy' and I do remember 70 years ago asking what it meant and he said it referred to a woman, like; 'sweetie' 'honey' etc. A peach being current jargon of affection for a sweetheart.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Little Bit of Heaven (military parody)
From: Lighter
Date: 04 Jun 16 - 08:26 AM

"SHQ" (Squadron Headquarters) must be the original. "AHQ" (Air Headquarters Iraq and Persia") was established at Shaibah (near Basrah, Iraq) in 1942. The base ("RAF Shaibah") was built in 1920.

I have another version that does begin "A little piece of bullshit fell." Instead of Bristol bombers, there are "Wimpeys" (Wellingtons).

"The blue" = the desert.

The chorus ends, "I'm fed up, and I'm fucked up, and I'm blue."

Otherwise, nearly identical.

Obviously the two stanzas could be sung without the chorus at places other than Shaibah.

There is also a World War II version of "Scapa Flow" that begins "a little bit of shit and muck...."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Little Bit of Heaven (military parody)
From: Lighter
Date: 03 Jun 16 - 09:34 AM

SCAPA FLOW

                               A

Faith, a little bit of garbage fell from out the sky one day,
And flopped into the ocean in a spot up Scotland way.
And when their Lordships saw it -- oh, it looked so bleak and bare,
They said, "This is the spot, we'll have a naval base up there!"
So they littered it with colliers to make the matlos work,
And with depot ships and oilers so destroyers couldn't shirk.
And they guarded it with mines and nets, with gates to come and go,
And when they had it finished -- sure they called it Scapa Flow!

                        

                               B

Sure, a little bit of Hell fell from out the sky one day,
And it nestled in the ocean up by the Orkney way;
When the Sealords found it, it looked so bleak and bare,
They said suppose we start to build a naval base up there!
So they dotted it with colliers just to give the matlows work,
Provision ships and oilers so their jobs they could not shirk,
And they dotted it with raindrops, hail, sleet, and blinding snow,
And when they had finished it, sure they called it Scapa Flow.


                         M. And V.
                   [canned meat and vegetables]

Oh, a little bit of everything got in a tin one day,
And they packed it up and sealed it in a most mysterious way,
And some Brass Hat came and tasted it,
And, "'Pon me, Sam!" says he,
"We shall feed it to the soldiers,
And we'll call it M. and V.

                        SHAIBAH BLUES

A little piece of mhutti fell from out the sky one day,
It fell into the Persian Gulf a million miles away.
And when Lord Trenchard saw it, it looked so bleak and bare,
He said, "That's wht we're looking for -- we'll put our air force there.
So they sent out river gunboats, armored cars and A.H.Q.,
And then they put the squadron right in that fucking blue.
Oh, peechi I'll be going to a land that's far remote,
Until that day you'll hear me say, "Roll on, that fucking boat!"

[To a different tune:]


I've got those Shaibah Blues, Shaibah Blues
I'm fed up, and I'm brassed off, and I'm browned.
Oh, I've been sitting here
For close upon two year,
And I wish I were in my coffin underground.
I've tried to learn the lingo, but it fairly got my goat.
The only words I know are,
"Roll on that fucking boat!"
I've got those Shaibah Blues, Shaibah Blues.
I'm fed up, and I'm brassed off, and I'm blue.

mhutti: muck, filth.
peechi: soon.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Little Bit of Heaven (military parody)
From: Lighter
Date: 03 Jun 16 - 07:22 AM

Like the original itself, the original parody dates back to World War I.

I will try to dig it from my files. It's only a few lines long.

Subject: ADD: Those Shaibah Blues
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jun 16 - 03:26 AM

I'm sure this song was changed to fit many different units. Here's one:

Those Shaibah Blues - The Song of 244 Squadron and Kindred Spirits
(sung to the tune of "A Little Bit of Heaven")

'Oh a little bit of Heaven fell from the sky one day,
and it settled in the ocean in a spot not far away
And when the Air Force saw it sure it looked so bleak and bare,
they said "That's what we're looking for, we'll put the Squadron there".

So they sent out river gunboats, armoured cars and S.H.Q
and they sent the famous Two Four Four in to the blinkin' blue.
But peechi I'll be going to a land that's far remote,
and till that day you'll hear me say "Roll on that blinkin' boat!"

I've got those Shai-bah Blues, Shai-bah Blues
I'm fed – up, and I'm cheesed off, and I'm blue,
I tried to learn the lingo but it fairly got my goat.
The only words that I know are "Roll on that blinkin' boat!"
I've got those Shai-bah Blues, Shai-bah Blues.
I'm fed up, and I'm cheesed off, and I'm blue.

So we sent out Vickers Vincents, Blenheim Fives, and Wimpies too,
and we called up all the Oxfords, Harts and old Valentias too.
But though we flew to oceans and the desert so remote,
the only thing it taught us was "Roll on that blinkin' boat!"

I've got those Shai-bah Blues, Shai-bah Blues.


I'm fed up, and I'm cheesed off, and I'm blue.'


Source: http://www.friendsandrelations.com/html/detail.php/id/8783/relations/kenneth_arthur_bovingdon.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Little Bit of Heaven (military parody)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jun 16 - 03:19 AM

Sure a little bit of heaven fell from out the sky one day,
And it landed up at Wallsend, now so many miles away,
The Admiralty looked at it and shouted out with glee,
We'll turn it into London; what a lovely ship she'll be.

So they drew her out on paper 'til it really looked quite grand,
And sent it to Swan Hunter's where they waved their magic wand,
After lots of sweat and toil that took them many a year,
They sent her down the slipway and commissioned her with beer.

They fitted her with turbines just to make the beauty go,
And not, as many of you think, to fill the space below,
A great big shining galley, all sparkling and all bright,
And great big headlights by the bridge to show the way at night.

Then all at last they thought, alas, that we might have to fight,
So they dreamed of something simple that would do the job alright,
A pair of turrets at the front, some Seacats in a rack,
And a dirty great big Seaslug that just fitted at the back.

Before the ship could go to sea, a crew had to be found,
So they handpicked us from near and far and gathered us around,
And just to prove to everyone their new ship wasn't junk,
They issued each a locker and a nice big comfy bunk.

Then to their horror and dismay a big green patch was found
Where, with the ship in warmer climes, the camp beds would abound,
A phone call to the Fleeties sent a chopper out to sea
And reminded one or two of them they're still in the Navy.

At last the big ship went to sea all happy and serene, And all
at once the faces changed from red or white to green, A
massive plea arose from the men, yes from the hearts of all, '
Please send us back to Pompey and tie up against the wall!'


title unknown

Source: http://www.axfordsabode.org.uk/pdf-docs/london05.pdf

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Little Bit of Heaven (military parody)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jun 16 - 03:10 AM

A snippet of the song (and some great photos) Here:

http://combatace.com/topic/80824-il-2-3-sqn-saaf-in-east-africa/

A little bit of Heaven fell from out the sky one day
And landed in the ocean, oh so very far away.
And when the air force saw it, it looked so effing bare
They said 'THAT'S what were looking for
We'll put the squadron THERE!'

Subject: Lyr Req: A Little Bit of Heaven (military parody)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jun 16 - 03:07 AM

I got this email request from a man named Laurence today. Can anyone help?

My dad was in the R.A.F. throughout WW2 - several years of it in Egypt and Palestine. When he returned and I was a boy, he used to sing, (usually in the bath) a parody of the above song, which went:

"Sure, a little bit of (at this point he muttered, but I think it was bulls **t) fell from out the sky one day,
And it landed in the ocean oh so very far away,
And when the airforce saw it, it looked so bleak and bare,
They said, "that's what we're looking for, we'll send our airmen there."
So, they sent out Bristol bombers......



I know a few more bits and I'm trying to put it all together and wondered if anyone else had heard and knew it, possibly from their own father, can you help please?
Best regards, Laurence