h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Earlier on this evening, for no reason that I can remember, I started singing. [No, that's not what I'm asking about, it's *what* I was singing, you nasty people! ]

All I know is one line, which goes like this:
"My eyes are blind, I cannot see; I have not brought my specs with me!"

I've looked around, and the first half seems to be a quote from a very old ¿book? by "H. Rider Haggard" - e.g. http://www.classicreader.com/read.php/sid.6/bookid.1099/ (I love the name "Macumazahn", BTW! )

But from whence came the second line, and why do I know a kind of Rod, Jane & Freddy-style tune to go with it?

[IMSoP]

"The Quartermaster's Corps"

http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/q001.html

My mum used to sing that, when she had mislaid her specs!

http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/q001.html

Your link to "The Quartermaster's Corps" is quite interesting and ...very santitised.

I had always heard the song as "the Quartermaster's STORE" and always believed it was an old army (marching) song. It was also a popular drinking song among civilians during and after WW2. I don't think I've heard it for decades.

Unlike the sanitised version linked above, most of the verses were very rude and crude, a sort of Army version of the mariner's dirty-ditty The North Atlantic Squadron.

Among the tamer verses I recall:
"There were rats. Rats!
Big as alley cats,
in the store
in the store,
the QuarterMasters' Store."


~jwf~

*Quartermaster's Store* is what I remember as well. And there were many a verse that our Scoutmaster stopped in mid-sentence! Later in Sailing Clubs and (forgive me, it wasn't what you think) a Yacht Club we sang *North Atlantic Squadron*. *Much* more risque, *much* more rude.
A sample (Canadian version):

*The Third Mate's name was Carter,
By God, he was a f@rter,
On windless days he'd start her,
In the North Atlantic Squadron.*

And so on, and so on, and so on....

Believe me, I've spared you pain by not quoting the entire thing from memory.

We sing it in scouts. It's called the QuarterMaster's store.

Mostly, it goes like this: (I'm using an examble with the name Bob)

There was Bob, Bob, looking for Rob in the store, in the store
There was Bob, Bob, looking for Rob, in the QuarterMaster's store.

My eyes are dim, I cannot see. i have not brought my specs with me. I have not brought my specs with me.


And so and so forth...

For the last chorus we usually go:

My eyes are dim I cannot see, I've been in th epub since half past three, I've been in the pub since half past three.




Cat

I just clicked that link, we don't use fruit and veg and stuff, we use names. So like, if someone's name was Chris (which is my name) I might say "There was Chris, Chris, trying to get a kiss, in the store, in the store" and so on...

Cat

We used to sing that in school at about 8 years old!


There was mustard, mustard, having a fight with custard
in the stores
in the stores
there was mustard, mustard, having a fight with custard
in the Quartermaster's stores !

In Ireland, the scouts used to sing this.

There was gravy, gravy, enough to float the Navy
In the store, in the store
There was gravy, gravy, enough to float the Navy
In the quartermaster's store

My eyes are blind, I cannot see...

Hmmm, the only verse I remember is....

We saw Akayla, Akayla snoggin with a sailor
In the store, in the store.
Akayla, Akayla snogging with a sailor
In the quartermaster's store....

and why do I want to say Quatermass' store? Well, until later...
BCNU - Crescent

So many scouts!! Should bring Rob and Sean here...

I went to cubs tonight... it was funny. They're all so short!!

"I went to cubs tonight... it was funny. They're all so short!!"

That's the funniest thing I've read in ages....!

I thought it was that Quartermaster's store as well, but that was the top google answer! Glad to know that I'm not going mad....

Well, they are!!

And I'm not even that tall!

Rob's tall, and some of them on him were like coming up to his waist... it was funny!

My eyes are dim, I cannot see,
I left my specs in the WC,
I left my specs in the Double U C.

There was bread, bread as big as Skipper's head,
In the stores, in the stores.
There was Bread, bread as big as Skipper's head,
In the Qartermaster's stores.

etc.

In my Scouting days, this could go on, around the campfire, with each scout making up a rhyme, for 30 mins or more.

The other one was:-

"Oh, you'll never get to heaven,"
(everyone) 'Oh, you'll never get to heaven,'
"On a Playtex Bra,"
(everyone) 'On a Playtex Bra,'
"Coz a Playtex Bra,"
(everyone) 'Coz a Playtex Bra,'
"Won't stretch that far,"
(everyone) 'Won't stretch that far.'

(everyone)
'Oh, you'll never get to Heaven on a Playtex Bra,'
'Coz a Playtex Bra wont stretch that far,'
'I ain't gonna greet my Lord,'
'I ain't gonna greet my Lord,'
'I ain't gonna greet my Lord no more'
'I ain't gonna greet my Lord,'
'I ain't gonna greet my Lord,'
'I ain't gonna greet my Lord no more.'
Again, was done as a round-robin.
I think the chorus was repeated to give us thinking time for a new verse.

Can't think of anymore at the moment.( Thank Goodness. )

(Ps, Guides used to sing similar ones as well, although the words may be diferent)

I know that one too, the Quarter Master's Stores it was. Me dad taught it us as kids, obviously the clean version! I remember the Rats verse, there was also one about Cheese as I remember.

which reminds me, we also used to sing 'On Ilkley Moor Bar Tat' Or however you spell it. Seem to remember lyrics about being buried there and eaten by worms or summats. Charming sutff for small kids Anyone remember that one?

Ictoan
Try
http://www.stockdill.freeserve.co.uk/moor/
good luck.

Personally I prefer this one:-


The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
They crawl in thin and they crawl out stout,
Yahoe me friends be merry.
Your eyes fall in, your teeth fall out,
Your brains come tumbling out your snout.
Yahoe me friends be merry.

I believe this may be the correct version, but not one known by me:-
http://www.arose4ever.com/karen/lyrics/worms_crawl_in.htm

cheers for the link, that's the one!

much and to all!

I guess my dad knew the song from when he was at school (the least clean version around, if I know him ). Come to think, I think he was in the Scouts at one point. He has plenty of Rugby songs up his sleeve, too -
My old man was a Roman geezer,
He was in the legion of Julius Cesar...

Ah, but the memories of, in my case, Woodcraft Folk:
Dorcus ate some sausage rolls, and Dorcus ate some ham,
Dorcus ate some marmalade and then some strawberry jam,
Dorcus drank some lemonade, and then some ginger beer,
And Dorcus wondered why Dorcus felt so queer!

i know a few dirty songs from cadets.

theres is "walking down cannnal street", one about yogi near and all his friends. and the one about a guy called "nobby all"

bte "nobby all" is the cleanest one the dirty bit is what you mind expects the words to be rather than what they are.