Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Lighter
Date: 30 Aug 22 - 12:33 PM

An American B-29 stationed in Alaska in 1947 was named "Kee Bird."

For "Kee-kee-Kerist, it's cold!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Sol
Date: 29 Aug 22 - 12:48 PM

From my rugger days, vocalising on the back of the bus. >>>

And here we have the Walagawoomba bird. (What the **** is the...?)
The Walagawoomba bird flies to a height of 1000ft and then goes into a vertical nose-dive. When he is 6" off the ground he shouts "Walagawoomba!". To the average person, Walagawoomba means nothing but to the Walagawoomba bird it means "Help! I can't ******* stop!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Aug 22 - 11:56 AM

A favourite sung in our mess !! I remember the verse "ladies and gentlemen,. in the next cage we have the stange beast from borneo the orang outan he has one ball made of steel and one ball made of brass and as he swings through the trees they slap together and go orang gotang gotang !!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: G-Force
Date: 12 Jan 22 - 09:01 AM

Remember this from Uni in the 1960's.

We also had the Piebald Horse. The Piebald Horse?? The only animal I know with 3.1416 testicles!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Guest; now in Seattle
Date: 12 Jan 22 - 01:47 AM

Learned this in a British pub in Trinidad, WI...... The Pelican Inn. What fun to hear the sailors sing this when they were in port. Sang a verse at a dinner party tonight for the first time in 55 years. Recognized many of the verses. Great to see this post.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Alex now in Houston TX
Date: 12 May 20 - 11:24 AM

In the 60s I used to sing this with wee Al Bourne, Len Turnbull, and all the rest of us drunks in the 'Mally Arms an old pub in the south side of Glasgow Scotland. I found this thread while searching for the verse of 'The Hairy Horned Armored Armadillo' which I have forgotten! . I am still looking....

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 23 Jun 19 - 01:58 PM

Sang it with the Shantyboys in 1956 and remember Fi-Fi the the dancing lady: first she dances on her right foot, then she dances on her left foot and in between the two she makes a living. You won't find her cherry but can see the battered box in came in.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 May 19 - 07:28 AM

Sung it many a time when in the Royal Navy 1960's..........a few variations on the words, but basically the same song. It was always a favorite after a few pints.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 08:02 PM

Amazing that "The Wild West Show" is still very much alive. I probably already mentioned somewhere above that I first learned a version from the younger members of the Puleston Clan in Long Island, NY, back in the 1960s. The family patriarch Dennis Puleston was raised in England and was a source of many such ditties, including "The Ballad of Anthony Clair" referred to above, the juggler with the "large balls, balls as heavy as lead."

Charlie Ipcar

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Guest...John Taylor
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 10:29 AM

I sang the song around a beer keg as a Kappa Alpha fraternity pledge in the 1950's at the University of South Carolina.
The verse I remember dealt with the horny skinned rhinocerous
..." step right up ladies and gentlemen and see the horny skinned rhinocerous. How do the natives kill the horny skinned rhinocerous??? Lift the tail and the arrows go in one by one" ...and "we are off to the Hamburger Zoo to see the elephant and the fighting kangaroo..."etc. Brings back good memories of good times.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jul 17 - 06:59 AM

Used to sing this about 30yrs ago while camping with the olds... It was always a song headed by the most pissed up one of the night... Hehehe

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 19 Jan 17 - 04:15 AM

"Do you sing it?"
Sing?
I've always considered it a Cante-Fable
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Eoin Bruce
Date: 19 Jan 17 - 02:52 AM

The OO Bird & The AAH Bird
The OO bird lives at the North Pole and the AAH bird lives at the south pole. Once a year the two of them meet on the Equator and the only sound that can be heard is "Ooo AAH, Ooo Aah".

Bob Clarke, a 2nd Engineer with Frank C Strick shipping line, taught many of us several verses by sheer repetition.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Chorus
Date: 22 May 15 - 03:52 PM

Let me introduce the xxxxxx
Audience: fantastic, incredible, unbelievable,
The xxxxxx, what the fuck is that?
Then the main refrain followed by
'We're off to see the Wild West show, the elephant and the kangaroo ooh ooh ooh , never mind the weather, we'll all be together to see the Wild West Show
Wonderful thread with loads of extra lines, betore are invented even now 😀martin

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 10 Aug 14 - 10:46 AM

"The Wild West Show--A Tangle of Tales and Titles" (Ed Cray) is now available from CAMSCO Music as the fifth in their series of "Occasional Papers in Folklore" This 147 page book traces the origins and variations of a song that Legman considered to be the oldest bawdy song in current ciculation, with roots extending back to Shakesperean times. Softcover. ($9.95+ S&H)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Lighter
Date: 10 Aug 14 - 09:36 AM

> sardine farts for spirit levels

That *is* funny, Joe.

Do you remember any songs?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Joe Kitchen
Date: 05 Aug 14 - 06:56 AM

I remember this as 'The Wild Beast Show' while serving with the R.A.F.in India in 1944.

I learned the following:

Next we have the Pfanga Pfanga bird who dives from the highest mountain peaks to the deepest part of the ocean bed to collect sardine farts for spirit levels'

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: eftifino
Date: 17 Jun 14 - 09:22 AM

I learnt the intro as follows:

Roll up, roll up! See the Fat Lady standing on the Skinny Man's
COCK your eye over here and see the leopard with the 14 spots on his
MICKEY, close the door there's a draught coming in from the elephant's
HOLE-d your tickets for the next performance please!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Rog Peek
Date: 17 Jun 14 - 04:40 AM

I don't believe the square crocodile has been mentioned.
The square crocodile?
Yes, the square crocodile....has a square head, square legs, a square arse and he shits bricks!

Rog

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Joe Knight
Date: 16 Jun 14 - 11:08 PM

Learned this song around the drunken campfires of Lake Powell AZ in the 80s.

Don't know how it made the jump from the UK/AS to Western US, but thanks to all who have have passed it on throughout the planet. Amazing how the the refrain/corus has held up though the decades.

Learned many new lyrics tonight that I will add to my archive.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 03 May 14 - 02:42 PM

A History and analysis of the song, discussing its very long and complex heritage will by the estimable Ed Cray. is scheduled for publication this spring by CAMSCO Music. Watch this space.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Wendy
Date: 03 May 14 - 06:53 AM

My parents sung this to us on long car trips in South Africa in the 70's.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,JTB
Date: 27 Apr 14 - 05:04 PM

I learned this song in the school bus going to our rugger games circa 1963.

Ringmaster: "Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight we have a man who claims he can perform miracles"
Audience: "Jesus Christ!"
Ringmaster: "Right first time, Madam".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,pylortes
Date: 26 Apr 14 - 10:01 PM

from the old days civil war reenacting and camp fire songs...

the oo-ma-doodle bird, it from the antarctic, is had no legs, and when it come sin for a landing, it says, oo-ma-doodle, oo-ma-doodle..


next we have the mate to the antarctic oo-ma-doodle bird, the Oo-Ah bird.

the Oo-Ah bird lays square eggs, and every time it lays an egg you can hear it say..ooo-ahhh..ooo-ahhh..

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,pakamac
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 05:46 PM

"And in the next cage ladies and gentlemen, we have the Polar Bear"
" Ooh, ahh, the polar bear. What the f***in' hell is that?"
" One on side of the North pole lives an Englishman who keeps a private school. One th other side of the North pole is a Frenchman who keeps another private school. And right at the North Pole the polar bear slides down a glacier, keepin' 'is own privates cool!"

Oh, we're off ........

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Bert
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 10:28 AM

...Making sense has never been a strong suit for those who sing this song...

I know Charlie, but I thought that the possibility of it being the original version might be of interest to some of the dyed in the wool folkies here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 02:58 AM

This takes me back to the end of our basic training in the British Army in 1959, when the detested Corporals who had been the bane of our life suddenly became human and introduced us to this song. We also sang the chorus version already given containing 'the elephant and the kangaroo-oo-oo-oo'. Thanks all for recapturing the memory. Brian.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Nov 11 - 05:39 PM

Making sense has never been a strong suit for those who sing this song.

And over in this corner, ladies and gentlemen, is Ringmaster Rick Perry (applause)

Who just stepped in a huge pile of foo-shit (applause)

"Rick, how many rings are in your circus?"

"That's a tough question. There's one, two, and ..........." (applause)

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Bert
Date: 11 Nov 11 - 04:56 PM

I learned it a The Wild Beast Show which makes a little more sense.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,I-S
Date: 10 Nov 11 - 07:11 PM

I remember singing this at school in Cupar, Fife. Everything was narrated in a fake American showman's accent and each verse had a punchline. E.g. In this cage we have the leo-le-PARD, so called because it has 365 spots, one for each day of the year. No madam that's not a leap year, that's its hole!

After the winky wanky it was - no madam, stop throwing sand in its eyes!

In the version I learned it was the upitsownanus bird. It flew in every decreasing circles until the ineveitable happened.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Amy
Date: 15 Sep 11 - 03:47 AM

My dad has sung this song for as long as I can remember at our family dinners. It is definately a family tradition and one I would love to carry on with when I have a family of my own. He sung pretty much the same version above with slight variations. I love that you guys have this thread going!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,CTBurke
Date: 03 Sep 11 - 01:55 PM

I sang this song in the early 1970's with the Phi (Kappa) Psi fraternity at UCLA around the dinner table or at rallies. In the 80's I was a Park Ranger on Angel Island when a "spirit group" came off the boat singing it. I motioned to the leader to let me have a verse, and he did. I did the "Oh-no bird"—the testicles-hanging-lower-than-its-legs, etc. Here I was in full uniform, in public, and making a fool of myself, but loving it. Later still, I made a large model airplane for a historical display, and made the "nose art" a large, black "Oh-no bird" of my own illustration, with inscription. I don't know if anyone ever "got it" that it was from the Wild West Show song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,honey badger
Date: 08 Jun 11 - 08:49 AM

Here we've got a hornbill?
A Hornbill?
Don't be silly man, my name's Joe!

The mountain goat...
The mountain goat?
Yes, the mountain goat etc. etc.
.. is an animal that jumps from precipice to precipice... just to press another piss!

The goldfish...
The goldfish? etc. etc.
.. is a creature that mucks around in a fountain!

The mountain goat...
etc. etc.
.. is an animal that *ucks around in a mountain!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 May 11 - 07:48 PM

I learned what I still consider one of the cleverest verses at the knee of my older cousin, an FP of George Heriot's Edinburgh, wham ne'er a school surpasses for bawdy songs and their bit verses. Any part of its phraseology that may not be quite English as she is ought to be spoke, does however reflect the way things are expressed in Scotia's genteel capital.
(Alba gu bràth!)

and in the next cage l and g we have the
POLAR BEAR!
The POLAR BEAR? Charles fucking Darwin! What the hell is that?
The polar bear, l and g, lives on an iceberg near the North Pole. On one side of the iceberg there is a Frenchman who keeps a private school and on the the side of the iceberg there is an Italian who keeps a private school. And all day long the polar bear skites back and forth on its arse between them keeping its privates cool.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: ScottishVoice
Date: 07 May 11 - 04:38 PM

I have a friend who sings this but off the top of my head the only verse I can remember is the "oocha-magoolie" bird.

Same as the OO OO AA bird.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: threelegsoman
Date: 07 May 11 - 12:31 PM

As a young man at college, I used to sing this song on coach trips returning from hockey matches. I recognize most of the verses in the same form or slight variations in the threads above. A couple of the verses I sang were:

In the next cage ladies and gentlemen is the F-f-f-fuffer-mouse.

Fan-tastic, in-credible, im-possible, what the f*cking hell is that?

This animile ladies and gentlemen lives in the Say-har-ay desert where it travels in groups in Indian file. The last one in the line disappears up the arse-hole of the one before until there is only one left who says, "Where the f-f-f-f*cking hell do we go from here?

The Camel

This animile also lives in the Say-har-ay desert where it can go for weeks without drinking water, living entirely on sand.
Hence the pyramids!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 07 May 11 - 08:59 AM

Dennis, could you post those lyrics? And when you sang them?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Dennis
Date: 06 May 11 - 10:38 PM

The 1085th Medevac, Rapid City, South Dakota, sang this as their company theme song with slightly different lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 12:03 PM

Earthling - Variation on the Ooozlum Bird!

In the next cage we have the Whirly Twirly bird . a most innoffensive creature , who's sole defence when pursued by one of its many predators is to fly round and round in ever decreasing circles til it vanishes with a pop and a puff of blue smoke up its own rectal orifice from which safe abode it hurls abuse and excretia at its pursuer

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Trapper
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 11:38 AM

Learned it as a camp counselor, sung by the staff after the kiddies went to bed.

- Al

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 07:03 AM

My first boyfriend taught me this in Edinburgh in 1968. I thought he was wonderful, but he had to explain several of the verses. He always sang the chorus, and narrated the verses in a pseudo-American accent. He also taught me a thing about a man who had "large balls, twice as heavy as lead" who apparently, "with a singular twist of his muscular wrist, he threw them over his head " (tarara boom etc.) Does anyone know that one? I was only seventeen and completely innocent and naive. I smile now, I was horrified and fascinated in equal measure! He is now Professor of Epidemiology in Scotland, I don't suppose he sings this song any more!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST,Earthling
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 06:46 AM

I learned this song back in 50s England as an army cadet and having read this most interesting thread, allow me to add the Ooslum Bird (sic):
-
The Oozlum bird?
Yes madam, the Oozlum Bird.
This bird flies round in ever decreasing circles
Eventually disappearing, in a cloud shit and feathers up it's own arsehole.
-
Then there's polar bear hunting:
-
The hunter digs a hole in the ice
Carefully places a line of dried peas around the edge of the hole
and when the polar bear comes up for a pea
He kicks him in the ice hole.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 10:37 PM

Having reviewed the amazing posts above I'm reminded:

"That if the Fu shits, wear it!."

But that was another story.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 10:31 PM

Amazing!

Keep 'em coming.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 11:51 AM

in this corner we have the Zbra its the only creature in the whole wide world that is 26 sizes bigger than a A bra.

In this corner we have a porcupine a very strang creature indead it is the only creature with a 1000 pricks and no Ms. Jones He is not for sale.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 07:50 AM

Seems one has been missed...

Ladies and Gentlemen! Here we have the Ostrich!
The Ostrich ?
Yes the Ostrich! This amazing bird Ladies and Gentlemen can not only not fly, but it lays eggs so large that every time it lays one its
Ass stretches!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: sing4peace
Date: 17 Sep 09 - 12:59 PM

Thanks for reviving this thread. I read through every one and laughed all the way. It brought me back to happy memories of my dad (Jody Gibson "Cranky Yankee") singing this at the old "Black Pearl" tavern in Newport, Rhode Island when he was playing with Roger Sprung and Kevin Fennessey. This song would go on and on and on and the audience would join in to the point where the parrot (Shipwreck) would get all excited and start to sing too. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Joyce

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Sep 09 - 01:53 PM

And in this corner we have the Kudu
The Kudu?
The only animal to have brass balls and as it runs you hear the sound
ku du ku du

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 04:18 AM

That Bengal tiger sounds a little like the cat encountered in S.America.
A man was walking through the Amazonian forest with his guide when a massive cat ran from the undergrowth and bit off his pride & joy.
When the man woke up in hospital & asked what the cat was he was told it was a "two-litre jaguar"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'The Wild West Show'. Do you sing it
From: GUEST,steve
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 02:21 AM

I learned this song from Trevor Jones in Avalon on Catalina Island in 1976 were I met Natalie Woods and Robert Wagner who frequented the bar where Trevor played.

I don't sing it much but on occasion....when I have the right crowd. Trevor was Welsh I believe and knew more songs than a person has a right to recall.

The verse (with a fine welsh-slightly brit but different- accent):

In the next cage sports fans
we have this most amazing creature known as a bengal tiger

fantastic, unbelievable, no shit
what the hell's a bengal tiger

well the bengal tiger is one of God's most amazing creatures
it is an 800 pound pussy that eats you!