"The Music Man" (Roud 17774) is a popular cumulative folksong among children, rugby players, and Hash House Harriers.
Video The Music Man (song)
History
Peter Kennedy published a song called "The German Musicianer" in "Folk Songs of Britain and Northern Ireland" (1975). It has some similarities with this song. Even earlier, "The Wonderful Musician", written by Walter Greenaway, was published in 1871. The chorus begins: "A big drum, a kettle drum, the fiddle, flute, and piccolo, piano, harp, harmonium and many more beside". The song is also known in Germany as "Ich bin ein Musikante" and adapted in the US to "I Am a Fine Musician."
For each verse the participants act out different instruments with specific actions. Some of the actions for the adult version can be rude or crude. They may also attempt to imitate the sound of each instrument. It is sometimes performed in cabaret with the audience challenging the artistes to ever more extravagant - and difficult - renditions of, for example, the flugelhorn.
Maps The Music Man (song)
Commercial recordings
The song was recorded by Black Lace, a British pop group from Ossett in West Yorkshire, in 1990 and reached #52 in the UK singles charts.
Song structure and lyrics
Each verse begins with the following chorus lines, divided between the lead singer ("The Music Man") and the audience. The lyric below is from the version performed by Black Lace. There are variations which follow roughly the same tune:
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- The Music Man: "I am the music man, And I come from far away and I can play!"
- Audience: "What can you play?"
Each verse features a specific instrument with accompanying actions. After each verse, singers sing the previous verses in reverse order before singing the main chorus lines again. The song proceeds thus:
- Chorus
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- Singer: Everybody clap your hands in the air and follow the Music Man!
- Singer:I am the music man, I come from down your way, and I can play!
- Audience: What can you play?
- Piano
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- The Music Man: "I play the piano!"
- Sing "Pia-pia-pia-no, pia-no, pia-no; pia-pia-pia-no, pia-pia-no" to the tune
- Actions: act out playing chords on a piano
- Follow with chorus
- Trombone
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- The Music Man: "I play the trombone!"
- Sing "oomp-pa-oomp-pa-ooomp-pa-paaaa, oomp-pa-paaaa, oomp-pa-paaa; oomp-pa-oomp-pa-oomp-pa-paaaa, oomp-pa-oomp-pa-pa" to the tune
- Actions: mime playing trombone
- Follow with Piano and chorus
- Bagpipes
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- The Music Man: "I play the bagpipes!"
- Sing "Scotland the Brave"
- Actions: mime playing bagpipes/ Scottish jig
- Follow with Trombone, Piano, and chorus
- Call and response section
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- The Music Man: "Whoawhooaa!"
- Audience: "Whoawhooaa!"
- The Music Man: "Yeeaah-yeah-yeah-yeah"
- Audience: "Yeeaah-yeah-yeah-yeah"
- The Music Man: "Oggy oggy oggy!"
- Audience: "Oi oi oi!"
- The Music Man: "Oggy oggy oggy!"
- Audience: "Oi oi oi!"
- Football section
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- Sing theme from Match of the Day
- Actions: scarf waving
- Follow with Bagpipes, Trombone, Piano, and chorus
- Dambusters
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- The Music Man: "I play The Dam Busters!"
- Sing the theme to The Dam Busters
- Actions: with arms outstretched running around, like bomber aircraft flying; alternatively, make an "okay" sign with both hands and place over eyes (with palms touching cheeks, thumbs over eyebrows and the 3 loose fingers of each hand pointing down) in the manner of an aviator's goggles.
- Follow with Football, Bagpipes, Trombone, Piano, and chorus
- "Here We Go, Here We Go" Theme
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- Sing: Here we go, here we go, here we go; Here we go, here we go, here we go; Here we go, here we go, here we go; Here we go, here we go, here we go; Here we go, here we go, here we go; Here we go, here we go, here we go; Here we go, here we go, here we go; Here we go, here we go, here we go; Here we go, here we go, here we go; Here we go, here we go, here we go....
- Actions: Scarf waving to "Here We Go"
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- Singer: I am the Music man!
- Audience: Oi!
See Also
- Vi äro musikanter
References
External links
- The German Musicianer
Source of article : Wikipedia
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