Lyr Req: Billy the Squid

Subject: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: Bill Cameron
Date: 21 Nov 98 - 07:37 AM

It's Not in the DT.

Billy the Squid, spawned by Rick Nestler, a Clearwater guy, one of the finniest little ditties ever to come down the pike. It is, of course, the tail of the notoriously eponymous outlaw crustacean (?) who was finally tamed by the beauteous Clammity Jane. ("she looked at him clammily, and said 'lets start a family')

Anybody know it? Or am I being shellfish?

The tune is a familiar one--I used to recognize it, but over the years I lobster.

I'm dead serious. Bill

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: rich r
Date: 21 Nov 98 - 10:34 AM

I remember "Billie Sol Estes", but that was an invertebrate from another time. A more recent lower life form I've heard about is the ken starfish.

rich r

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 21 Nov 98 - 03:26 PM

Squids are cephalopods (a kind of mollusks), not crustaceans. Don't say you never learned anything on the 'Cat!

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: Bill Cameron
Date: 22 Nov 98 - 09:18 AM

OK I learned sumpin. Still hoping somebody has the lyrics. I heard the song played by the composer (!) at a disreputable campfire gathering at the Hudson River Revival a couple of years ago. Cracked me up. I like to think of myself as a bottom feeding song collector, so I haddock to get it.

p.s. like i said, i almost recognize the tuna--playing it in any scale is fin by me.

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: sea-soned mud-catfish
Date: 22 Nov 98 - 11:25 AM

A whale of a story sounds pretty fishy to me

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Nov 98 - 01:03 AM

Tom Chapin (Harry's brother) has an album titled "Billy the Squid." I think it's still available. If nobody finds the lyrics by December 1, click on my name and e-mail me a reminder. I may be able to find the lyrics after that.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From:
Date: 23 Nov 98 - 03:15 AM

I have the lyrics - with a Scottish accent. I'll bring them in this week. Also, I was told it was actually written by Tom Chapin. Was I being misinformed??? - Clammily, Susanne

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: one of the above
Date: 23 Nov 98 - 11:52 AM

or was your informant just squidding. cor briny!

up the river without a cephalopaddle

last heard of, Billy was living in Squid Row

Not to put a damp squid on things, but what's the porpoise of this thread? We mussel be lazy - we've got oceans of material to come up with new lyrics ourselves. It would be very sea-sonal this week, in time for the anniversary of William Bonney's death (or so I've heard)

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From:
Date: 24 Nov 98 - 09:26 AM

Ain't no porpoise--its just for the halibut.

I should just up 'n plankton five or six squid for the cd instead of pirating.

I hadn't heard Tom Chapin wrote it--but who put the Broad Scots in Mr Chapin's chowder?

Now I'm really confused. Bring on the real words. Please.

Bill

Subject: Lyr Add: BILLY THE SQUID (Tom Chapin)
From:
Date: 26 Nov 98 - 02:59 AM

Here it is, finally ...

BILLY THE SQUID
As recorded by Tom Chapin on “Billy the Squid” (1992)

There are sagas of under-sea outlaws
And the great soggy deeds that they did,
But the saltiest thief to come down the reef
Was the outlaw named Billy the Squid.
From the Grand Banks he'd steal sand-dollars
And escape on his sea-horse named Sid.
He took from the selfish and gave to the shell-fish
Did big-hearted Billy the Squid.

In the Pink Coral Lounge (that's a sand bar)
Worked the former Miss Lake Champlain,
A beautiful mollusk, a real living dollusk.
Her name it was Clammity Jane.
Now this dive was as hard as a barnacle.
It was real barracuda terrain,
Where the groupers and grunts pulled unsavory stunts,
Which was tough on poor Clammity Jane.

One night through the door swam a stranger.
To the corner, he squirted and slid.
All the fish in the room grew as hushed as a tomb
When they saw it was Billy the Squid.
But he had not come in for a hold-up
Or for criminal personal gain;
He’d come on a mission; he’d come there a-fishin'
For the beauteous Clammity Jane.

He said, “Clammy, I've done hurt your feelin’s,
And I've caused you some pain; this I know,
But before it's too late, I'm a-gonna go straight,
Or as straight as a squid can go.”
He asked for her hand, but she had none,
And to prove it, she lifted her lid.
“Then how 'bout a foot?” and her foot out she put.
“It's a beauty!” said Billy the Squid.

Then he gathered her up in his tentacles,
And as into the sunset they rid,
She looked at him clammily, “Let's start a family.”
“Wahoo!” said Billy the Squid.
So then they moved to the submarine suburbs,
And when they found out they could not have kids,
They adopted three guppies and four dogfish puppies,
And a whole bunch of clammets and squids.

In the sagas of under-sea outlaws
And the great soggy deeds that they did,
There's a clam who prevailed where the sheriff had failed
And she captured bold Billy the Squid.

* * *

Iain MacKintosh also sings it. No notes on that one - I'm not steeped (oops?) in sea lore. - Susanne

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: alison
Date: 26 Nov 98 - 05:31 PM

Great Susanne,

Now who's got a tune?

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: one of the above
Date: 26 Nov 98 - 05:36 PM

back to the think TANK

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 26 Nov 98 - 09:04 PM

Have we had a punny thread before about "I've lobster, but now I've flounder..."? I've seen or heard this song somewhere in the last 12 months.

Regards
John

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Nov 98 - 01:12 AM

Hi, John - Click here to get to the "Musical Puns" thread that has all those classics.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: bbc
Date: 27 Nov 98 - 07:12 PM

Let's give credit where credit is due. It was definitely written by Tom Chapin & John Forster & came out on their 1992 recording entitled "Billy the Squid." Tom is a great writer & performer. He lives in my area & gives a free outdoor concert of his wonderful family music in Peekskill, NY the 1st Wednesday of August every year. My kids grew up on his music & it's used by elementary school music teachers all over the country. Tom sounds a lot like his brother, Harry, & is a heck of a nice guy.

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From: Steve
Date: 28 Nov 98 - 05:22 PM

As a school teacher in Wisconsin, I'd have to agree that Tom Chapin is a great guy and I have used "Billy the Squid" in class. He (and John Forster) have penned many other "children's tunes" that adults can enjoy! All of his music is available in recorded versions and in songbooks that go with the recordings. Pretty easy to pick up this tune off the record.

My two cents,

Steve

Subject: RE: Lyric request: Billy the Squid
From:
Date: 29 Nov 98 - 01:05 PM

well tanks everybody for settin me strait.

As for Tom Chapin, ok he wrote it and Rick Nestler's off the hook, except for spreading it around--I hope Tom's as ashamed of this as I am for liking it.

There's no ex-scouse for this--oh I give up!

This was not the most efishient lyric-netting process, but at least its FINished!

Bill (let's drop it OK!) Cameron

god I hope this thread has floundered for good.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Billy the Squid
From: Willie-O
Date: 21 May 07 - 05:35 PM

Today I happened to need the lyrics to Squid-Jigging Ground...and found in "Related Threads" one I started damn near ten years ago, which predates "Willie-O", back when I had a real name.

That would be this one. Still debating whether to pull the lyrics off and print them out again...I fin-ished this nonsense long ago...then flounder agin...oh the agony. Not sure what to mako it now.

W-O
aka Bill Cameron

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Billy the Squid
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 21 May 07 - 06:52 PM

I'd leave it as it is, Bill. The thread was great fun, though slightly fishy ...   And nice to know you're still around!