The Music Man (song)

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The Music Man (Roud 17774) is a popular cumulative folksong among children, rugby players and Hash House Harriers.

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".

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.

Later, it was recorded by Black Lace, a British pop group from Ossett in West Yorkshire.

[edit] Song structure and lyrics

Each verse begins with the following chorus lines, divided between the lead singer ("The Music Man") and the audience:

The Music Man: "I am the music man, I come from down the way, 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:

Singer: Everybody clap your hands in the air and follow the Music Man!
Singer:I am the music man, I come from down the way, and I can play!
Audience: What can you play?

Piano:

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
Singer: Everybody clap your hands in the air and follow the Music Man!
Singer:I am the music man, I come from down the way, and I can play!
Audience: What can you play?

Trombone:

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 pia-no lines again then chorus
Singer: Everybody clap your hands in the air and follow the Music Man!
Singer:I am the music man, I come from down the way, and I can play!
Audience: What can you play?

Bagpipes:

The Music Man: "I play the bagpipes!"
Sing "Scotland the Brave"
Actions - mime playing bagpipes.
Follow with pia-no, oomp-pa etc.


Call and response section:

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:

The Music Man: "I am the music man, I come from down far away and I can play".
Audience: "What can you play?"
Match of the Day, (followed by a scarf waving section to the music of BBC's Match of the Day music)
Singer: Everybody clap your hands in the air and follow the Music Man!
Singer:I am the music man, I come from down the way, and I can play!
Audience: What can you play?

Dambusters:

The Music Man: "I play The Dam Busters!"
Sing the theme to The Dam Busters with arms outstretched, like bomber aircraft.

Match of the Day:

Match of the Day, (followed by a scarf waving section to the music of BBC's Match of the Day music)

Bagpipes:

Sing "Scotland the Brave"
Actions - mime playing bagpipes.

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.

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

Here We Go Here We Go Theme:

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 Here we go.
Singer: I am the Music man!
Audience: Oi!

[edit] External reference