Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)

Subject: Lyr Req: Obi Wan Kenobi shanty
From: vindelis
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 03:33 PM

Has anyone else heard the Obi Wan Kenobi Shanty? last heard by me at a West Country Carols weekend, in Weymouth, last November. I think it's another Les Barker parody, but it isn't in any of his books that I have at present.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Obi Wan Kenobi shanty
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 03:34 PM

It is by Les and he recorded it on one of his CD's.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Obi Wan Kenobi shanty
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Jan 05 - 09:32 AM

I'm not sure this is the song you want, but Les Barker's website says that BEN KENOBI NOBI appears in the book "The Green Eye of the Little Yellow Dog," and was recorded by The Mrs Ackroyd Band on the CD "Yelp!" DOG 017, 2003.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Obi Wan Kenobi shanty
From: vindelis
Date: 19 Jan 05 - 07:03 PM

Thanks Chaps, that's the one. Vindelis

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Obi Wan Kenobi shanty (Ben Kenobi Nobi)
From: Mr Happy
Date: 30 May 07 - 10:44 AM

Heard this hilarious gem sung at Chester Folk Festival late Monday night.

Anyone have the words, please?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 02:07 PM

Roy Bailey, The Spooky Men's Chorale, Martin Simpson, Marc Block and Andy Cutting perform Les Barker's "Ben Kenobi Nobi" at Towersey Festival, 2013

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 04:11 AM

Here you go:

Ben Kenobi (Les Barker)

I heard the R2D2 say
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay
Millenium Falcon's on its way
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay

Toorayay, oh, toorayay
Ben Kenobi nobi toorayay

Who taught Luke about the Force
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay
Who's the Fountain, who's the Source?
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay

Toorayay, oh, toorayay
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay

Who does Alec Guinness play?
Ben Kenobi nobi toorayay
Who's not in The Darling Buds of May?
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay

Toorayay, oh, toorayay
Ben Kenobi nobi toorayay

Who stands next to Harrison Ford?
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay
Carrying a bloody great white sword?
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay

Toorayay, oh, toorayay
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay

What comes after Jedi day?
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay
Jedi Night, so the old men say
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay

Toorayay, oh, toorayay
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay

Toorayay, oh, toorayay
Ben Kenobi-nobi toorayay

LFF

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: Leadfingers
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 06:23 AM

That looks well worth stealing !!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 01:58 AM

Forgot to say, the tune is, of course, John Kanaka and the track is available performed by Wheeler Street featuring Roy Bailey on Cat Nav, one of a series of CDs of Les Barker's works performed by Les and a range of celebs and illustrious musicians in aid of The British Computer Association of the Blind.

LFF

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: GUEST,Ur Mom
Date: 23 Dec 22 - 10:53 AM

We learned John Canuckanucka in Music Class in Grade 2. This was Canada.

But I don’t think it was Kanaka. I never saw it written out.

I told my Mom about the song after school and she told me that it was a woods camp song or something like that about a Canadian named John (Canuck).


I watched a fishing movie where they sang John Kanaka (the captions read Kanaka) and searched up the song and yeah.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Dec 22 - 09:32 PM

And here's a recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uod931XKeQ

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: GUEST,Kristoffer Ross
Date: 24 Dec 22 - 09:52 PM

Craic'ing parody it is.
I personally prefer to parse the refrain thus-ly:
Ob-ie-Wan-Ken-ob-ie-no-bi Too-ri-ay, but to each their own :)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: leeneia
Date: 25 Dec 22 - 05:55 PM

Thanks, everybody. This piece was fun.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: Ernest
Date: 26 Dec 22 - 05:46 AM

Funny stuff! I agree with Kristopher Ross about the chorus. Also I`d have him carry a big light-sword, not a white one.

Does anyone know if Les Barker made the changes for copyright reasons or was it just misunderstandings?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: Mysha
Date: 26 Dec 22 - 06:30 AM

Hi,

Something seems to be missing in my version of the thread?
What changes? What different versions exist? Etc...

Mysha

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 26 Dec 22 - 06:48 AM

In answer to Ernest, I’ve just listened to the Mrs Ackroyd Band singing the song on YouTube, and it does sound like “white Sword”, so maybe Les intended that.
The lyrics are in slightly different order from those shown above by LFF.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ben Kenobi Nobi (Les Barker parody)
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 26 Dec 22 - 10:25 AM

I also wondered about that, but Les's printed version has "white".
There's a version on YouTube by Pyrates! which has two extra verses of their own making, can't quite make out the first one, it's at

https://youtu.be/5uod931XKeQ