Origin: lyrics to Colonel Bogey

09 May 02 - 10:15 AM (#707365)
Subject: Col Bogey march question
From: Midchuck

My wife, the Mizchuck, came home today and mentioned that the school marching band was practicing the march that was used as the theme music in The Bridge Over the River Kwai, and it made her nervous because she was afraid she might forget she was in school, and start to sing the original lyrics (we're not talking "My beer, is Rheingold extra dry...." here, folks!) along with it in the halls, which would be bad for her professional image as a teacher.

It got us to wondering. Is that tune a formal, composed march, that the lyrics on the DT got put to later, or was it composed along with the lyrics, by the folk process, presumably early on in WWII, and became a "legitimate" march that high school bands play later on, perhaps because of its use in the movie? Does anyone know?

Peter.

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09 May 02 - 10:29 AM (#707371)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: catspaw49

Some info here and as you can see it was written in WWI not WWII.

I doubt if there were any "original" lyrics as many marches had none. But it does lend itself easily to any number of rips! I'll be interested to see if any originals do exist too.

Spaw

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09 May 02 - 10:33 AM (#707373)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: artbrooks

Midchuck, this information is available HERE.

'Colonel Bogey' is arguably the most famous march ever written. It is certainly the most profitable. First published in 1914 - a portentious year for marches if ever there was one - it quickly made the best-seller sheet music lists. By the early Thirties it had sold well over a million copies, had been recorded innumerable times and had already begun clocking up useful performing rights from the BBC. Even better, in 1958 it was chosen as the theme tune for the splendid film The Bridge on the River Kwai - and the mind boggles over the financial implications of that.

It is of course a fine march whose opening has proved totally irresistible for the best part of a century. Its composer was Lieutenant F.J.Ricketts (1881-1945), a military bandmaster who was Director of Music for the Royal Marines at Plymouth. Because at that time Service personnel were not encouraged to have professional lives in the great big world outside, Ricketts published 'Colonel Bogey' and his other compositions under the pseudonym Kenneth Alford.

So much for the composer – but who in fact was Colonel Bogey? The story goes that this was a nickname by which a certain fiery colonel was known just before the 1914 War when Ricketts was stationed at Fort George near Inverness in Scotland. One of the composer's recreations was playing golf and it was on the local course that he sometimes encountered the eccentric colonel. One of the latter's peculiarities was that instead of shouting 'Fore' to warn of an impending drive, he preferred to whistle a descending minor third. This little musical tag stayed and germinated in the mind of the receptive Ricketts – and so the opening of a memorable march was born.

One wonders if the two men ever met again. If so, let us hope that the composer at least stood the Colonel a generous double at the Nineteenth Hole.

I'm not sure about the words...I first encountered them on an Oscar Brand record called, I think, "Bawdy Barracks Ballads".

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09 May 02 - 10:34 AM (#707374)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: artbrooks

Once again Catspaw is faster than me!

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09 May 02 - 10:35 AM (#707375)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: toadfrog

It was a formal, composed march. Composed by a Lieutenant F.L. Ricketts in 1914, and extremely well known well before WW II. Normally the folk process does not work the way described. It had lots of World War II lyrics:

Cheer up, and the same to you!
Good luck, in every thing you do!
Cheer up, the skies will clear up!
And Britain's boys will come home once again!

Here's a health to the boys in Navy blue!
The Army and the Airforce, too!
Here's a health to the Women's Volunteers,
They all deserve three hearty cheers!
Etc.

Those lyrics may well be older than the ones about hitler and his bal.

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09 May 02 - 10:36 AM (#707376)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: masato sakurai

"Colonel Bogey" march was composed by Kenneth J. Alford (whose real name was Frederick J. Ricketts, 1881-1945) for military band in 1914 (info from James J. Fuld, The Book of World-Famous Music). The lyrics in question was written much later.

~Masato

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09 May 02 - 10:57 AM (#707393)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST,Midchuck downstairs

All right! I figured someone would know, if there was a definitive answer.

Thanks much,

Peter.

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09 May 02 - 11:04 AM (#707401)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: masato sakurai

More lyrics to the "Hitler" version (Click here).

~Masato

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09 May 02 - 11:13 AM (#707411)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: masato sakurai

Sample page of "Colonel Bogey March" score

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09 May 02 - 02:48 PM (#707551)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: Les from Hull

We also had schoolboy words in the 50s

Bollocks, they make a damn good stew Bollocks, are very good for you...

There were probably more, but it was a very long time ago

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09 May 02 - 02:58 PM (#707562)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: Les from Hull

Further to this would anyone care to speculate that Hitler, Mao and Napoleon only had one testicle (each, that is!) Or is it just our way of denigrating other countries' leaders? And if that is the case, is that the worse thing that we can think to say about them?

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09 May 02 - 03:13 PM (#707573)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: catspaw49

Let's see Les......

There is this info

Or is it this?

Then there's this

Entering "Hitler" "testicle" together on Google got 1540 hits

Spaw

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09 May 02 - 04:10 PM (#707622)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: Joe_F

Here is another bizarre story that may actually be true (I forget where I read it): When Hitler was a boy, the family doctor was Jewish. When Hitler came to power, he gave the doctor safe conduct, and the latter settled in New York City, where he was interviewed during the war about the rumor. According to him, Hitler's genitals, at least in childhood, were normal.

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10 May 02 - 04:06 AM (#707958)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: Nigel Parsons

Unfortunately, I can't remember which "filker" wrote this. But, in keeping with this thread, and with the recent release of the first part of the Lord of The Rings film:

Sauron, he's only got nine rings
Three are with the Elven Kings,
Seven, in dwarvish heaven,
And poor old Frodo's got hold o' The One.

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10 May 02 - 07:56 AM (#708042)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: Steve Parkes

The "one ball" verse was written early in WWII by Hubert Gregg (still going strong), who also penned such gems as "Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner" and the witty wartime hit "I'm going to get lit up when the lights goo up in London". His Colonel B lyric was prbably a great contribution to the war effort, and was approved by the War Office. Understandably, it was "anon" at the time, being unsuitable for polite company, and not good for the reputation of a gentleman, even one who wrote and performed popular songs. He finally came out of the closet a few years ago, by which time it was no greatsecret anyway.

Steve

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10 May 02 - 08:43 AM (#708067)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: The Walrus at work

The Great War period lyrics seem to have revolved around the line
"Bollocks - And the same to you"

Galton and Simpson in one "Steptoe and Son" episode had the following exchange (Harold's replys being sung to the tune of Colonel Bogey"

Albert : Cobblers!
Harlod : And the same to you
Albert : Cobblers!
Harold : They make a jolly fine stew...

It should be recalled that at this time on British TV Cobblers was an acceptable term , while Ballocks and Damn were not.

My own Father, a pre-WW2 conscript, remembered a set of lyrics to the introduction to Colonel Bogey

"Don't claw his eyes out Maggie,
Wait 'til you get him into bed
Then claw his..."
Then the song goes into the usual
"Bollocks - And the same to you"

Hope this is of use.

Walrus

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10 May 02 - 09:57 AM (#708120)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST,Don

My wife introduced me to the following member of the canon:

Comet, it gets your bathroom clean.

Comet, it tastes like Listerine.

Comet,

it makes you vomit,

so buy some comet, and vomit, today.

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10 May 02 - 05:41 PM (#708470)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: dick greenhaus

In 19 ought 47, the Columbia Band sang:

Bullshit! It's all the band could play Bullshit! They played it every day Bullshit! Ta-ra-ra Bullshit! Ta-ra-ra Bulshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!

It wasn't new then,.

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10 May 02 - 06:19 PM (#708488)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: Geoff the Duck

I suspect that Mizchuck should not worry about singing the bawdy set of lyrics - the kids probably know htem already - and if they don't, it should be a useful history lesson for them ;@)
The version of the Hitler song which I grew up with was slightly different, but not much!
Hitler has only got one ball
The other is locked in Cartwright Hall
His mother, the dirty bugger
Took the other, when Hitler was small!!!
[Cartwright Hall is a local museum/art gallery in a local park]
Strange how the true oral/aural tradition (childrens' dirty songs)tends to localise things, isn't it!
Quack!!!!!
Geoff the Duck!

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11 May 02 - 11:47 AM (#708872)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: Kenny B (inactive)

Sing us another one do?
Intro
In came the colonel's daughter
dressed in postage stamps
And singing.......
Horace! you've made a mess of me,
Horace! You'll have to marry me,
Horace! we'll call him Boris,
And there'll be Horace & Boris & me
usv TTFN Kenny B

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17 May 02 - 04:40 PM (#712526)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: Irish sergeant

Hitler was weird enough without only having one testicle. To my knowledge,(pursuiant to research on a novel) he had both mind you I didn't personally check! I remember the "Comet" version of Colonel Bogey's March and singing it when I was in maybe the first grade. The Hitler Lyrics I learned later were: Hitler, he only had one ball/ goering had two but very small/Himmler he had the simliar/ and Doctor Geobbells had no balls at all. Kindest regards, Neil

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17 May 02 - 10:53 PM (#712691)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: Jacob B

There is also the Ajax version, which was learned in 1st or 2nd grade, which goes as follows:

Ajax, it makes your mouth turn blue,
Ajax, it tastes like doo, doo, doo,
Ajax, it makes you pay tax,
So get some Ajax, and pay tax, today!

Nancy (on Jacob's cookie)

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18 May 02 - 01:17 AM (#712729)
Subject: RE: BS: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST,.gargoyle

PLEASE post the URL address

IF you choose to use the "blue-clicky" please post the URL below it.

It is a major pain to sort through source code for your links.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

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22 Nov 08 - 11:30 AM (#2500044)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Mrs Scarecrow

I dont know if it is of interest but Kenneth J Alford was my maternal grandfather nad family tradtion has it that the inspiration for Col Bogey came from the whistling of a blackbird that he heard and whistle back to whilst playing golf
Ann Reader

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22 Nov 08 - 11:34 AM (#2500048)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Mrs Scarecrow

I followed a link on a thread Hitler has only got one ball I did not mean to split this off

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22 Nov 08 - 03:20 PM (#2500209)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick (cookieless)

According to an article in today's Independent, Hitler really did have only one ball. The other was shot away in the first world war.

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22 Nov 08 - 04:05 PM (#2500246)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: bubblyrat

By a Jew (I hope ! )

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22 Nov 08 - 05:02 PM (#2500281)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Severn

There were Army lyrics circa the Vietnam War about reenlisting bonus money that started:

"Re-up, and buy a brand new car....."


But alas I never could remember the whole thing.


In WWII, my dad sung it as:

"Bullshit, will make the grass grow tall...."


but that's the only line I ever heard him sing.

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03 Jul 09 - 08:41 AM (#2670574)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST,empeejay

As a child, I remember an obviously sanitized version of Col Bogey that reached India during WW II, courtesy the tommies and GIs I guess. It went something like this:
Chorus:
Good luck to the boys in navy blue
The army and the airforce too
Good luck to women volunteers
etc. etc.
And the verse:
Hitler, we're marching on your tail
Hitler, no wonder you turn pale
Goering, the lion is roaring
etc Etc

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03 Jul 09 - 12:32 PM (#2670741)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: dick greenhaus

In 47, we sang:

Bullshit! That's all the band could play.
Bullshit! They play it it every day.
Bullshit! Ta-ra-ra Bullshit!
Ta-ra-ra Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!

Bullshit! It makes the grass grow tall
Bullshit! Enough for one and all
etc.

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04 Nov 09 - 08:55 AM (#2759340)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST,Pinette Atkinson

Could the person (mudcat.org) who said they were related to Kenneth J Alford (paternal grandfather) please contact me. My husbands family are descendant of Kenneth J Alford's daughter who moved to South Africa.   This is the only link I have been able to find so am looking very forward to hearing from you.   Could you please communicate via my e-mail
[e-mail]

looking forward to hearing from you

Regards

Pinette Atkinson

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04 Nov 09 - 10:05 AM (#2759384)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: meself

It was the tune of a commercial jingle from the 'sixties:

Winners, warm up with Maltomeal,
......


That's all I remember, thankfully.

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04 Nov 09 - 10:10 AM (#2759385)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: frogprince

Wondered, when this came up, if anyone was going to come up with the "Bullshit" lyric; all I ever heard was, "Bullshit, it makes the grass grow green".

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04 Nov 09 - 03:36 PM (#2759619)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Mrs Scarecrow

I am more than a little surprised to read Guest Pinette Atkinsons posting as far as I am aware the only daughter of Keneth J Alford who went to South Africa was my mother who went there with her own mother who moved there after my Grandfathers death. I believe My own mother was only there for a year or so. I am her first child and I have 2 younger brothers.

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04 Nov 09 - 04:07 PM (#2759649)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST

Los Angeles Area Council (LAAC) Boy Scouts of America

Lake Arrowhead Scout Camps (now Forest Lawn camps - yeah those people))circa previous 1960 (just in time to be influenced by the film) a fire went through the mountainous area (fifty years later and fire is still part of the fire-ecology of the area) and one of the three camps "Cedar" was burned...the other two camp staffs "Bighorn" and "Pepperdine" would sing the following parody.

Cedar - with all its burnt out trees
Cedar - looks like a big disease
Cedar - oh, you can beat her
With either Bighorn or Pepperdine.

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04 Nov 09 - 06:17 PM (#2759740)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Uncle_DaveO

Severn informed us:

In WWII, my dad sung it as:
"Bullshit, will make the grass grow tall...."

and Frogprince chimed in with:
"Bullshit, it makes the grass grow green".

When I was a kid (back before the Earth's crust cooled), the few lines I remember went:

Horseshit!
It makes your grass grow green!
Greener
Than anything you've seen!

More's the pity, I remember nothing more.

Dave Oesterreich

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04 Nov 09 - 07:15 PM (#2759772)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: McGrath of Harlow

When I learned it in the cadets at school it always had the introductory line:

We are the shit-shovellers shovelling shit on the shit parade -
They say that Hitler has only got one ball etc

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04 Nov 09 - 08:02 PM (#2759795)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST

McGrath - and THAT matched up with WHAT tune?

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04 Nov 09 - 08:05 PM (#2759797)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Ian Fyvie

Check out other tunes by Kenneth Alford - they're brilliant!

In my opinion (I'm one of Britain's newest brass band composers) his compositions are equally as good as those of Sousa (Monty Python theme plus lots more you'll have heard in Hollywood films) and the other legendary military, brass and Salvation Army composers - and a great inspiration in my writing.

Ian Fyvie

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05 Nov 09 - 12:52 AM (#2759890)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST,Pinette Atkinson

To Ms Scarecrow!
The information that I have is that Kenneth Alford's daughter , Violet, married a Mr Rose in South Africa and after his death, married my husbands grandfather, John Herbert Atkinson in Cape Town.   This information was given to me by my late mother in law who always spoke about her Mom in law as being the daughter of the bandmaster Kenneth J Alford.
I would be very interested to hear whatever information you have on him.

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05 Nov 09 - 05:11 AM (#2759954)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: bubblyrat

Sorry to drift "off thread" a bit,but as a keen amateur genealogist I am interested in the idea of "Mudcatters" discovering family ties with each other,as the above suggests. Indeed,following a chance remark about unusual Christian names on this forum, by regular poster " Will Fly", I discovered that we are second cousins !Thus it would be most gratifying if a familial link is actually established between Ann and Pinette .

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05 Nov 09 - 01:53 PM (#2760268)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Mrs Scarecrow

To guest Pinette
Much as I would like to find a new relative I dont think that is the case. My Grandfathers Daughter's were Sheila, Paula and Josie. There was no Violet. You may not be aware that his actual surname was not Alford, which was a penname. Could this be where confusion has arisen. Let me know if you have any further information. There is a book detailing my grandfather's life. 'Colonel Bogey to the Fore' by John Trendell, published by the Blue Band Magazine. It will give you all the details of his life.

To Ian Fyvie
I am really delighted to hear that his work is still inspiring people
Mrs S

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05 Nov 09 - 05:09 PM (#2760391)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST,Pinette

To Ms Scarecrow
Thanks so much for your info. My late Mom-in-law always believed that her husband Lawrie Atkinson was the son of John Herbert Atkinson and Violet Alford, the daughter of Kenneth Alford, the composer who wrote Colonel Bogey, etc while in The Royal Marines. During my research I found that his real name was Frederick Joseph Ricketts. As I have never found any info on his personal life I could not make the connection. Now I know why......there probably wasn't any. Could you please give me some information regarding your Mother in South Africa (names, dates, her husbands name etc) as it would make very interesting reading and possibly shed some light onto how this mix up might have occurred.
Thanks

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05 Nov 09 - 06:12 PM (#2760437)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: McGrath of Harlow

McGrath - and THAT matched up with WHAT tune?

Matches up with a kind of musical flourish that bands do before getting into the tune. There's probably a technical term for it, but I don't know it.

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05 Nov 09 - 10:04 PM (#2760557)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: MGM·Lion

You can get the tune of this 'flourish' if you sing it, as we used to in my long-since schooldays, as -

'Where was the engine driver when the boiler blew? —

They found his BOLLOCKS
A thousand miles away   
Floating way down in Hudson Bay.
Floating, they found them floating
And so we had them for dinner today.'

Not a version that makes much sense; but doesn't appear to have been quoted on this thread before, so perhaps worth record. & it does start with the 'flourish'.

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05 Nov 09 - 10:29 PM (#2760572)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Ian Fyvie

Our city has four brass bands. I've heard three of those play Kenneth Alford tunes in the last two years. His work lives on with vengeance Mrs S!

Try listening to his compositions "Holyrood" especially - excellent. And Spirit of St George?
Great Little Army?

The Genealogy theme .....

I hope people appreciate the link made in this thread!!

Ian Fyvie

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06 Nov 09 - 01:24 PM (#2760985)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Mrs Scarecrow

Hi Pinette
I hope I've got the dates right. As far as I know my grandmother went out to South Africa in about 1948 after Kenneth J Alford died. My mother followed shortly after or possibly at the same time. She was unmarried at that time . She returned a year to 18months later still unmarried. She married my father William Mathews in 1954. My Grandmother remained in South Africa until 1959 or60 when she came back, she died in 1961.
Hope this helps

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06 Nov 09 - 01:44 PM (#2761001)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: McGrath of Harlow

Then there was:

BOLLOCKS, and the same to you,
BOLLOCKS, they make a damned good stew,
BOLLOCKS, mixed up with scallops,
And a nice tasty arsehole or two.

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06 Nov 09 - 01:51 PM (#2761006)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: dick greenhaus

In the 60s, kids were singing:

Comet! It makes your teeth turn green
Comet! It tastes like gasoline
Comet! It makes you vomit
So get some Comet, and vomit today.

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06 Nov 09 - 01:59 PM (#2761015)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST,Pinette

Ms Scarecrow
Okay, great. Last questions...... Your Grandmother, who was married to Kenneth Alford...........what was her name and maiden name. Any idea where in South Africa she and your Mom lived?

Thanks again for all your patience. It has been much appreciated
All the best

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06 Nov 09 - 06:13 PM (#2761175)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Joe_F

I seem to remember a version sung at St Andrews University in 1958:

Where was the engine-driver when the boiler burst?
They found his ballocks a thousand miles away,
Floating upon the Hudson Bay,
His arsehole
Was up a flagpole,
And his penis in St Andrews common dines.

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07 Nov 09 - 01:19 PM (#2761617)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: McGrath of Harlow

Isn't it "Where did the engine driver go when the boiler burst..."?

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07 Nov 09 - 01:31 PM (#2761624)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: MGM·Lion

Come now, McGrath, this is a folk site — surely you know better than try to establish a definitive version. Either mine/JoeF's [similar tho I prefer my 'blew' to his/your 'burst'] will fit the flourish, yours with emphasis on the 'go', his/mine on the 'was'...

I find it interestg that his 1958 St Andrews Univ version should start so similarly to my mid-1940s Hendon County School one, even to the detail of 'Hudson Bay' - no matter that they then diverge; only 2B expected...

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08 Nov 09 - 01:30 PM (#2762204)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Old Vermin

Naming no names, but should there be a mandatory donation to the Mudcat coffers for posting suggested lyrics that don't scan?

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08 Nov 09 - 01:31 PM (#2762205)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: MGM·Lion

... mine a bit back, 5 Nov, 10.04 pm.

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08 Nov 09 - 06:11 PM (#2762376)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Joe_F

OV: IMO McGrath's line can be made to scan (well enough for folk music) if "when" & "the" are both unstressed, so that one has a dactyl in place of a trochee -- adding a little rhythmic interest, in the spirit of English prosody. Furthermore, that version has logic on its side, for at the instant when the boiler burst, the driver was presumably in one piece. Indeed, it is conceivable that over the last 51 years I myself have corrupted the line.

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08 Nov 09 - 06:27 PM (#2762383)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: McGrath of Harlow

Been reading Stephen Fry's "The Ode less travelled", Joe? Good book.

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08 Nov 09 - 08:00 PM (#2762434)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Joe_F

McGrath: Never heard of it. I'll have a look.

Incidentally, note the resemblance to

    Nymphomaniacal Alice
    Used a dynamite stick for a phallus.
      They found her vagina
      In North Carolina,
    Her rectum in Buckingham Palace.

Does this suffice to establish a motif? Perhaps "TransAtlantic dismemberment" or, more broadly, "Explosions -- implausible consequences", to take in big Jim Goff.

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08 Nov 09 - 09:06 PM (#2762477)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Charley Noble

Joe F-

I like the way your mind works!

Charley Noble

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08 Nov 09 - 10:17 PM (#2762506)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: PSzymeczek

Severn -

Here's the version I remember from the 60's/70's:

Reup, and buy a brand new car.
Reup, show what a fool you are.
Reup? I'd sooner throw up.
I'd sooner throw up than reup today.

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09 Nov 09 - 01:57 PM (#2762913)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Mrs Scarecrow

Hi Pinette my grandmothers maiden name was Holmes I think it was capetown they lived in or near it. My grandfather my also have gone to South Africa because he was a marine bandmaster and went all over the world. The only places I know for certain are New Zealand and Canada. I dont think he stayed long term there and could not say when or where.

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28 Jan 10 - 09:37 PM (#2824142)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST

Bullshit it makes the grass grow green
Horseshit it does the same damn thing
bullshit
or is it horseshit
it grows grass
the greenest
youve seen

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28 Jan 10 - 09:43 PM (#2824149)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST

As we used to sing it:
Bullshit it makes the grass grow green
Horseshit it does the same damn thing
bullshit or is it horseshit
both will grow grass
the greenest
youve seen

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07 Mar 10 - 12:27 AM (#2858077)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: GUEST

LOL

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07 Mar 10 - 03:58 PM (#2858539)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Paul Reade

We used to sing a variant of the "stew" version - it was in Lancashire after all, so it would be about the top local delicacy:-

Bollocks, they make the best meat pies
Bollocks, the very shape and size
Knackers, go well with crackers
But only bollocks make the best meat pies

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07 Mar 10 - 05:21 PM (#2858608)
Subject: RE: Col Bogey march question
From: Uncle_DaveO

In high school band (in '46, '47, '48) I played tuba, and my very favorite march was Colonel Bogey because of the wonderful lower-brass second melody, which showed off the tubas, baritones, and trombones. Unfortunately, it has never appealed to the parodists, so it appears, so most people don't know it as they know the "horseshit" or "Hitler" theme.

Dave Oesterreich

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31 Mar 12 - 11:04 AM (#3331581)
Subject: RE: Origin: lyrics to Colonel Bogey
From: GUEST,Mr. Bill

The version my Dad (born and raised in Glasgow) taught me was:
Horace, you've made a mess of me,
Horace, you'll have to marry me,
Horace, we'll call him Boris,
And then there'll be Horace and Boris and Me,

Where was the engine driver when the boiler busted,found his Asshole
A million miles away, they found his penis,
Somewhere on Venus,
They'll find the rest of him some other day.

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01 Apr 12 - 09:08 AM (#3331987)
Subject: RE: Origin: lyrics to Colonel Bogey
From: GUEST,henryp

"just before the 1914 War when Ricketts was stationed at Fort George near Inverness in Scotland"

Inverness isn't far from Strathbogie - the valley of the Water of Bogie.

Huntly town was formerly called Strathbogie. Bogie of nearby Cairnie was the father of Bogie's Bonny Belle.

Alford is a little further, in the valley of the Don that flows to Aberdeen.

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08 May 12 - 07:44 AM (#3348140)
Subject: RE: Origin: lyrics to Colonel Bogey
From: GUEST

The British Soldiers sang this song during the II world war. I know part of the original Lyrics from my dad.

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05 Oct 13 - 01:23 PM (#3564498)
Subject: RE: Origin: lyrics to Colonel Bogey
From: GUEST,Ritzmar

When I was a kid (I am now 67) we had an old 10" 78 gramophone record, beautifully sung in harmony, but by whom I do not know. But from around 55-60 years ago, I remember:

Hitler, We're marching on your tail
Hitler, no wonder you turn pale
Look out, let's get your book out
For you will need it to read it in jail, (just before they hang you)
Hitler, although it may sound harsh
Britain will pull your darned moustache
Villain, whose name is Hitler
You'll be much littler
Before we are through

and another verse, later in the song:

Hitler, we're going to see it through
Hitler, this is the end for you
Goering, the lion's roaring
And Ribentropp, we wil topple him too (like the other nasties)
Hitler, remember Kaiser Bill
Hitler you'd better make your will
Hitler . . . (sorry, cannot remember this line!)
This is your blot-out, so Hitler, you're through!

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05 Oct 13 - 01:38 PM (#3564503)
Subject: RE: Origin: lyrics to Colonel Bogey
From: GUEST,Ritzmar

The B side of this 10" record, if I recall correctly, was called "Somewhere in England", and one of the verses, and its chorus, with a different tune to 'Colonel Bogey', went:

Dear Mum & Dad, It's been sometime since we've had
A chance to write to you with all this trouble brewing
But here is a line just to say that we are fine
And let you know just where we are, and what we're doing.

We're somewhere in England, somewhere on its British Isle
Doing our duty, with a song and a joke and a smile
We're somewhere in England, waiting for the work to begin
and it won't be long before you hear this song
From somewhere in Berlin.

      . . .    and the end of the last verse is something like:

And while we're away every hour of every day
We hope and pray that you will keep the home fires burning

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08 Jan 23 - 04:35 PM (#4161754)
Subject: RE: Origin: lyrics to Colonel Bogey
From: GUEST,johnp

They found his bollocks, a thousand miles away
Floating in Honolulu Bay
Swimmin`
With naked wimmin
And having a wonderful time.
RAF NS lads 1962 Wood Norton

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27 Aug 23 - 08:42 AM (#4180071)
Subject: RE: Origin: lyrics to Colonel Bogey
From: GUEST,Clarkie

Taught to me by my father from his St Andrews Uni days in the early 60's:

Hitler has only got one ball
Göring has two but very small
Himmler has something similar
But poor old Goebels has no balls at all

Where was the engine driver when the engine boiler bust
They found his bollocks 10,000 miles away
Whilst searching in a pile of hay
His penis was found on venus
But poor old Goebels still has no balls at all

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27 Aug 23 - 08:42 AM (#4187246)
Subject: RE: Origin: lyrics to Colonel Bogey
From: GUEST,Clarkie

Taught to me by my father from his St Andrews Uni days in the early 60's:

Hitler has only got one ball
Göring has two but very small
Himmler has something similar
But poor old Goebels has no balls at all

Where was the engine driver when the engine boiler bust
They found his bollocks 10,000 miles away
Whilst searching in a pile of hay
His penis was found on venus
But poor old Goebels still has no balls at all

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