Lyr Req: 'rioting in Africa'? / Merry Minuet

07 Jan 99 - 01:55 AM (#52457)
Subject: I need help locating this song/title/artist etc...
From: [e-mail]

I just heard of a song that was supposedly popular in the late 1960's or early 1970's. Some of the lyrics went somthing like:

They're rioting in Africa..... They're starving in Spain... There are hurricanes in Florida... And Texas needs rain...

Does anyone know the name of this song and/or the artist? I would appreciate anyone emailing me the information. I would also like to know where I could find the lyrics for the whole song. Thank you in advance for your help!

Nina [e-mail]

---

07 Jan 99 - 02:00 AM (#52460)
Subject: RE:
From: katlaughing

If you type in "africa rioting" in the DT search box, the song comes up. It says they think it was first done by the Kingston Trio inthe 60's and it has the words you mentioned.

Hope this helps,

katlaughing

---

07 Jan 99 - 02:09 AM (#52463)
Subject: RE:Rioting in Africa
From: [e-mail]

Thank you katlaughing!

I was very amazed to receive such a swift reply! I did the search as you suggested and found the song!

Thanks again!

Nina

---

07 Jan 99 - 06:18 AM (#52498)
Subject: RE: Rioting in Africa
From: Roger in Baltimore

With certainty, it was done by the Kingston Trio Copyright date is 1958. It is on their Capitol album "The Best of the Kingston Trio", Capitol ST 1705 released on April 30, 1962. It was also recorded by Tom Lehrer on his "That Was the Year that Was" LP.

I wonder if Sheldon Harnick expected the song to continue it's relevance. The song would imply that I believe.

Roger in Baltimore

---

07 Jan 99 - 08:16 AM (#52511)
Subject: RE:
From: Rincon Roy

BUd & Travis had fun with it too.

---

07 Jan 99 - 10:12 AM (#52527)
Subject: RE:
From: Jon W.

When my friends and I used to sing this we would sing the line "And I don't like anybody very much" in a German accent imitating Adolph Hitler. Does anyone know if that's the way it was in the original (which I've probably never heard)?

---

07 Jan 99 - 11:45 AM (#52546)
Subject: RE:
From: SteveF

Jon W. - No, the singer tried to sound grouchy, but he certainly did not put on a German accent, or an accent of any kind. The point of the line was that familiar groups of people made a career of being hostile to other groups, but any individual could be just as unpleasant to his neighbors. Satire, we assume.

---

07 Jan 99 - 12:00 PM (#52551)
Subject: RE:
From: BBJfla

"The Merry Minuet" was the title the KT3 used, and is descriptive of the tune, for any of you haven't heard it. They finished it off on a discordant chord that would be formed in EADGBE as xx2301.

---

08 Jan 99 - 02:35 AM (#52725)
Subject: RE: rioting in africa
From: Rasta

and texas needs rain--The whole world is flustering with unhappy souls--The French hate the Germans -the germans hate the poles---Italians hate yougoslaves---South Africans hate the Dutch--And I dont like anybody very much But we can be thankful and tranquil and proud for mans been endowed with a mushroom shaped cloud--and we know for certain that some lucky day --some one will set the spark off--and we will all be blown away-------tttttther rioting in Africa ----thats close as I can come at the moment---- good luck

---

08 Jan 99 - 04:50 PM (#52856)
Subject: RE:
From: --seed

the last verse is "they're rioting in Africa/ There's strife in Iran/ What nature doesn't do to us/ Will be done by our fellow man (discordant ending). And Rasta, that's "festering," not flustering--but otherwise, right on. -seed

---