Calypsos about Cricket?
Chico Kahn (Room # 20/317 B)
|> I'm looking for recordings of calypsos about cricket. There have
|> been a large number of calypsos written chronicling the feats
|> of the Windies team on the cricket-field.
Here's one, not specifically about the West Indies team, but about cricket
in the West Indies nevertheless.
'Twas written by David Martin and recorded by the Tradewinds sometime in the
early '80s ot last '70s I do believe.
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Ah hear a story from Ken Crosbie, cricket game in the jungle
Sunday morning right after church, big, big crowd assemble
Donkey say "Me fus', I battin', you know I love me cricket"
Crapaud sit down behind the stumps, he say "Awright! I keepin' wicket!"
Giraffe and kangaroo at fine leg, snake down in the gully
Umpire parrot in a tree, he say, "All right fellas, all you ready?"
Chorus:
And the ones in the crowd start to sing very loud
"Hit the ball donkey, hit the ball
Cover drive him, man, make him bawl
Hook the man like Kallicharran
And put him straight in the stand."
The elephant turn and pick up the ball, he say "I opening the bowling"
Monkey say "Boy, the size of you, if you say you bowling, you bowling."
Elephant walk about half-mile and then he started running
He coming down like an express train, the whole blasted jungle shaking.
When he see elephant coming down, poor donkey start to shiver,
Red ants hit him a couple bite "Man look, get yuh self together."
Chorus
Elephant galloping like a horse, he jump up high and deliver
The ball come down like a thunderbolt and bust the bat into splinter
Lick 'way the wicket, lick 'way crapaud, lick 'way snake in the gully
Lick down giraffe and kangaroo and gone whistling down to the boundary
Red ants lie down flat on the ground, he say, "Lawd that elephant crazy,
He must think he is Colin Croft, Thompson or Dennis Lillee."
Chorus
Scatteration out on the field, well every man jack was hiding
Crapaud lie down like if he dead, giraffe and kangaroo limping
Then Mister Parrot the umpire, he say, "All you hold some 'strain,
Elephant that was a no ball, donkey to bat again."
Well donkey turn 'round and watch parrot, he say, "Parrot, shut yuh mouth,
You behind safe up inside the tree, no ball me tail - I out!"
And he turn to the crowd and he said very loud
"All you talking...
All you talking 'bout hit the man, but all you backside inside the stand
Send some other jackass to bat, this jackass finish with dat!"
|> Murari Venkataraman
Chico.
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What do they know of cricket, who only cricket knows? - C.L.R. James
Cliff Shivcharan
come to mind.
1. This calypso was about Sunil Gavaskar after the 1971 tour of the WI -
Gavaskar debut series. It relates how Gavaskar was "like a wall, that the
West Indies couldn't out Gavaskar at all". In the part of the WI that I am
from (Guyana), Gavaskar is highly regarded as a player especially since
he played against our best bowlers and scored some 14 of his 30 odd
centuries against us (probably the ONLY player to do so).
2. This calypso is about a Chinese bloke who was in the WI and turned on
the radio and cricket commentary was being broadcasted at the time. He did
not have a clue what cricket is about here is some of what he heard and
how he related what he heard:
3 slips and a deep gully - must some women playing.
the bowler has a 3rd man - boy, those Homos have no shame.
a short leg and a fine leg - must be a game for the handicapped
There were some other cute references and it ended with him turning off
the radio muttering that this is obviously a game for retarded people.
(Remember that this is ONLY a calypso, OK.).
Regards,
Cliff.
*********************************************************
Cliff B. Shivcharan
Bell Northern Research Inc.
R & D Subsidiary of Northern Telecom Ltd.
Richardson TX 75083.
Any opinions expressed are mine and do not reflect those
of my employer.
**********************************************************
Gerry George
Man, that was/is a classic. Just reading the words made me feel like hearing
it again. Hey Chico, you got a copy? Maybe I can get it from you.
A few more songs - don't know all the lyrics or the artists, just a few lines...
Mama batting Papa bowling,
they playing cricket.... (don't know much more, but the "subject" was not
cricket :) )
Then you have the classic greats like Sparrow's about Gary Sobers, "We are the
Champions", "Kerry Parker"
The Mighty Gabby (Barbados) - "Hit it" (more innuendos using cricket)
There are lots more that I can't really recall - mind really fuzzy on kaiso
right now - I've gone too long without hearing some.
===========================================================================
Gerry George | Anything good in life is either
School of Management, Boston Univ. | illegal, immoral or fattening.
Internet: gge...@acs.bu.edu | Any item not in the above three
Compu$erve: 72607...@compuserve.com | categories causes cancer in rats!
===========================================================================
mcb...@vax.oxford.ac.uk
> I cannot give you the words the way Chico did but 2 calypsos about cricket
> come to mind.
>
> 1. This calypso was about Sunil Gavaskar after the 1971 tour of the WI -
> Gavaskar debut series. It relates how Gavaskar was "like a wall, that the
> West Indies couldn't out Gavaskar at all". In the part of the WI that I am
> from (Guyana), Gavaskar is highly regarded as a player especially since
> he played against our best bowlers and scored some 14 of his 30 odd
> centuries against us (probably the ONLY player to do so).
>
> 2. This calypso is about a Chinese bloke who was in the WI and turned on
> the radio and cricket commentary was being broadcasted at the time. He did
> not have a clue what cricket is about here is some of what he heard and
> how he related what he heard:
>
> 3 slips and a deep gully - must some women playing.
> the bowler has a 3rd man - boy, those Homos have no shame.
> a short leg and a fine leg - must be a game for the handicapped
>
> There were some other cute references and it ended with him turning off
> the radio muttering that this is obviously a game for retarded people.
> (Remember that this is ONLY a calypso, OK.).
Be careful the PC police don't get you Cliff:). I didn't see any lyrics to the
all time classic, "Cricket Lovely Cricket" (title?) composed by Lord beginner
on the occasion of WI first test match victory in England in 1950. I only
remeber the 1st verse so someone can fill in the rest..
Cricket, lovely cricket
At Lord's where I saw it
Yardley tried his best
But West Indies won the Test
With those little pals of mine
Ramadhin and Valentine
McBean
mu
> I didn't see any lyrics to the all time classic, "Cricket Lovely Cricket"
> (title?) composed by Lord beginner
> on the occasion of WI first test match victory in England in 1950. I only
> remeber the 1st verse so someone can fill in the rest..
>
> Cricket, lovely cricket
> At Lord's where I saw it
> Yardley tried his best
> But West Indies won the Test
> With those little pals of mine
> Ramadhin and Valentine
You asked for it McBean. :-) The above calypso was the one that prompted
me to start this thread. Here it is ...
=========================================================================
Cricket lovely Cricket,
At Lord's where I saw it;
Cricket lovely Cricket,
At Lord's where I saw it;
Yardley tried his best
But Goddard won the test.
They gave the crowd plenty fun;
Second Test and West Indies won.
With those two little pals of mine
Ramadhin and Valentine.
The King was there well attired,
So they started with Rae and Stollmeyer;
Stolly was hitting balls around the boundary;
But Wardle stopped him at twenty.
Rae had confidence,
So he put up a strong defence;
He saw the King was waiting to see,
So he gave him a century.
With those two little pals of mine
Ramadhin and Valentine.
West Indies first innings total was three-twenty-six
Just as usual
When Bedser bowled Christiani
The whole thing collapsed quite easily;
England then went on,
And made one-hundred-fifty-one;
West Indies then had two-twenty lead
And Goddard said, "That's nice indeed."
With those two little pals of mine
Ramadhin and Valentine.
Yardley wasn't broken-hearted
When the second innings started;
Jenkins was like a target
Getting the first five in his basket.
But Gomez broke him down,
While Walcott licked them around;
He was notout for one-hundred and sixty-eight,
Leaving Yardley to contemplate.
The bowling was superfine
Ramadhin and Valentine.
West Indies was feeling homely,
Their audience had them happy.
When Washbrook's century had ended,
West Indies voices all blended.
Hats went in the air.
They jumped and shouted without fear;
So at Lord's was the scenery
Bound to go down in history.
After all was said and done
Second Test and the West Indies won!
Egbert Moore ("Lord Beginner")
=========================================================================
Murari Venkataraman
ven...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Brian Vaughan
>> Cricket, lovely cricket
There was a funny song on Cricket by Crazy several years ago, but I forget
the name. John (Spankey) help me out here.....
"The bowler bowl a leg-break
He say "Boy dat game dangerous...."
Gerry George
This onbe just came to me while I was changing a light bulb (ding! :) )
so I decided to type it in.
Not sure who sings it.
No bowler holds a terror
for Vivian Richards
Not Thompson or Lilee
Not Bedi nor Chandersaker
Perfect coordination of body and mind
That brother could really .... (?)
Pace or spin,
He don't give a damn what you bowling him
Fast or slowly,
you going back to the boundary
--
can't remember any more of the verses