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Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Name that tune

For the life of me, I can't imagine why a reputable, albeit conservative journalist like George Conger would have published this picture of these member bishops who gathered this past week in Ft. Worth for a meeting of the Anglican Communion Network.

But, he did. Honest. Here it is, in fact.

Front Row:
Jon-David Schofield, San Joaquin; Jack Iker, Forth Worth: Bill Cox, Southern Cone/Asst. Oklahoma rt; Gregory Venables, Primate Southern Cone; Robt Duncan, Pittsburgh; William Wantland, Eau Claire rt; Keith Ackerman, Quincy.
Second Row:
James Stanton, Dallas; William Ilgenfritz, Forward in Faith bishop elect; Bill Atwood, suffragan bishop elect of All Saints Diocese Kenya; Bishop Ray Sutton, Reformed Episcopal Church; John Guernsey, suffragan bishop elect of Uganda; Richard Boyce, Anglican Province of America; Jeffrey Steenson, Rio Grande; Don Harvey, Western Newfoundland rt; David Bena, suffragan Albany rt/Asst Bishop Cana; James Adams, Western Kansas; William Love, Albany

Which brought to mind that song from 1958 by Sheb Wooley, "Purple People Eaters."

Remember the words?

No? Well, not to worry. Here they are (Which make about as much sense as the reports and repudiations coming from Ft. Worth.)

Well I saw the thing comin' out of the sky
It had the one long horn, one big eye.
I commenced to shakin' and I said "ooh-eee"
It looks like a purple people eater to me.

It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater.
(one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater)
A one-eyed one-horned, flyin' puple people eater
Sure looks strange to me. (one eye?)

Well he came down to earth and lit in a tree
I said Mr. Purple People Eater don't eat me
I heard him say in a voice so gruff
I wouldn't eat you cuz you're so tough

It was a one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater
one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater
one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater
Sure looks strange to me. (one horn?)

I said Mr. Purple People Eater, what's your line
He said it's eatin' purple people and it sure is fine
But that's not the reason that I came to land
I wanna get a job in a rock and roll band

Well bless my soul, rock and roll, flying purple
people eater. Pidgeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin'
purple people eater (we wear short shorts)
Flyin' purple people eater
sure looks strange to me.

And then he swung from the tree and lit on the
ground. He started to rock, really rockin' around
It was a crazy little ditty with a swingin' tune
(sing aboop boop aboopa lopa lum bam boom)

Well, bless my soul, rock and roll
flyin' purple people eater.
Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin' purple peopleeater.
Flyin' little people eater
Sure looks strange to me. (purple people?)

And then he went on his way, and then what do
you know. I saw him last night on a TV show.
He was blowing it out, a'really knockin' em dead
Playin' rock and roll music through the horn in
his head (clarinet solo) ( Tequila)

3 comments:

Bill said...

Elizabeth, There was a typo, it's Sheb Wooley, not Shep Wooley. Also, for those of you who can remember, Sheb Wooley also played a character called "Pete Nolan" on the television show Rawhide starring Eric Flemming and Clint Eastwood. Pete Nolan was their trail scout.
"Bio - Among pop-culture scholars, Sheb Wooley is best remembered for his late-'50s rock & roll/comedy hit "Purple People Eater," which sold over three million copies. But among country music afficianados, especially fans of cowboy songs, Sheb Wooley is the real article, or as near as one gets to it in modern times. A rodeo rider from the time that he was a boy, he was making a living on the circuit as a teenager, before he ever turned to music as a career. He turned to music and then acting, appearing in such Westerns as High Noon, before he was ever well-known as a singer, and later spent six seasons playing cowhand Pete Nolan on the television series Rawhide, even as he pursued a career in country music.

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Correction noted and made, Bill. You are an AMAZING font of information.

johnieb said...

I loved the song (I find myself singing the last verse to myself on occasion) but didn't know Sheb Wooley did it.

THE Sheb Wooley, huh? Kewl; thanks, Bill.