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

He jumped from 50,000 feet without a parachute
He jumped from 50,000 feet without a parachute
He jumped from 50,000 feet without a parachute
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

Chorus:
Glory, glory, what a hell of a way to die
He was wearing frilly knickers and he didn't know how to fly
Glory glory what a hell of a way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more

They scraped him off the tarmac like a blob of strawberry jam
They scraped him off the tarmac like a blob of strawberry jam
They scraped him off the tarmac like a blob of strawberry jam
And he ain't gonna jump no more




Did anyone else used to sing that at primary school? if so, can you remember what the later evrses are, 'cos I can't.

Don't recall singing it in school and kind of surprised we didn't sing it in Boot Camp.

No, no, no!!! You’ve got it all wrong.

The colonel of the Home Guard jumped from 50,000 feet.
The colonel of the Home Guard jumped from 50,000 feet.
The colonel of the Home Guard jumped from 50,000 feet,
And he ain’t gonna jump no more!!

Chorus:
Glory, glory, what a hell of a way to die,
With a bullet up your backside and an arrow in your eye.
Glory, glory, what a hell of a way to die,
And he ain’t gonna jump no more.

They scraped him off the runway like a blob of strawberry jam,
They scraped him off the runway like a blob of strawberry jam,
They scraped him off the runway like a blob of strawberry jam,
And he ain’t gonna jump no more!!

Chorus

They put him in a jam jar and they sent him home to Mum. Etc, etc.

Chorus

She put him on the mantelpiece for everyone to see. Etc, etc.

Chorus

Then there was a verse about the neighbours coming round, but I can't remember that one.

The next verse is

"she spread him on the crumpets when the vicar came to tea"

We used to sing-

"The yanks are flying fortesses at 50 thousand feet"

Then

"The Sargeant was the last to jump the first to hit the ground"

Then into "he landed on the runway" etc

The chorus we had was

"glory glory what a Hell of a way to die when you're hanging from your knickers and you don't know how to fly"

Sergeants don't wear knickers. That's the Navy you're thinking of.

B

Err, well it is the US Army

Hmm, a google search for "he jumped from 50,000 feet without a parachute" returns one result- http://www.girlguidingwhitehawk.co.uk/rangers/songs.htm#J which is the site for the "1st Whitehawk rangers Songbook"

which says this:

"Joey was a Parachuter (he jumped from 50,000 feet)
I'm sure everyone knows a different version of this but here's ours!)

Joey was a parachuter, jumper of his time,
Joey was a parachuter, jumper of his time,
Joey was a parachuter, jumper of his time,
And he ain't gonna jump no more!

Chorus:
Glory, Glory what a terrible way to die,
When you're wearing frilly knickers and you don't know how to fly,
Glory, Glory what a terrible way to die,
And he ain't gonna jump no more!

2. He jumped from 50,000 feet without a parachute...
3. They scraped him off the tarmac like a lump of strawberry jam...
4. They put him in a jam jar and they sent him home to mum...
5. She put him on the mantlepiece for everyone to see...
6. Mother had the vicar round, invited him to tea...
7. The vicar thought him tasty and he spread him on this toast...

Chorus changes to:
Glory, Glory what a terrible way to go,
When you're wearing black suspenders and you don't know jam from Joe,
Glory, Glory what a terrible way to go,
And he ain't gonna preach no more!

8. The vicar had a stomach ache he had an awful pain...
9. Mother called the doctor but the doctor never came...
10.The vicar died that morning and they laid him out to rest...
11.They took the vicras ashes and they put them in an urn...
12.They put them on the mantlepiece for everyone to see...
13.The cat jumped on the mantlepiece and ate them for his tea..."

The song seems more familiar to me now.

Great song, now that I figured out what it was sung to.
We sang these words to that toune:

O, mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school
We have tortured all the teachers we have broken every rule
I don't remember the rest of the verse...

Glory, glory halelujia
Teacher hit me with a ruler
Hit him in the weenie with a rotten tangerine (I think)
And I ain't gonna learn no more

Any one remember any more of this (American(?) gem?)

I don't at this point.

*jealous*

I wish we'd sung these songs at school. They sound great!

oh, you must feel so deprived, it weas great fun.

is this going to become an entry on the various versions of this song?

If I acn find out more studff about it's origins, mebbe I suppose.


In my lecture this evening, we spent the last hour watching a Tinmewatch Documentary about the Vietnam War. In one bit, there were American soldiers on their base in Vietnam, and do you know what they wewre singing?

"Glory glory what a hell of a way to die..."

Well, I can safely say that the origins of the tune is the hymn 'Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory'. Beyond that I'm a bit hazy, but isn't John Brown's body involved somewhere? And that was US Civil War.

B

O, mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school
We have trampled all the teachers, we have broken all the rules
We tied the principal and then we flushed him down the stool
Our troops go marching on...

Glory, glory halelujia
Teacher hit me with a ruler
Met him at the door with a loaded .44
He ain't my teacher no more..


That was our version

Charming school you went to ranger...

Explains a lot about me, doesn't it?

Explains quite a lot about the teaching profession as well...

...I wonder when the NUT's next pay-rise campaing is...

B

John Brown's body lies a mouldin' in his grave,
John Brown's body lies a mouldin' in his grave,
John Brown's body lies a mouldin' in his grave,
But his soul goes marchin' on

Is the one yank soliders often sing- that's the one you're thinking of B.

John Brown's bike has a puncture in its tyre,
John Brown's bike has a puncture in its tyre,
John Brown's bike has a puncture in its tyre,
But its soul goes wheeling on

Is the one UK Guides sing.