The Shackleton song

[mukit]

Can anyone remember all of the words??:confused:

[mukit]

No, I didn't think so, nor can I.

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

I know some of it.

Shackletons don't bother me
Shackletons don't bother me
Clapped out contraptions with flaps on their wings
F@ck all their pistons and their piston rings
And we're saying goodbye to them all
Three fifths of five eigths of f@ck all
You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean
(It seems that I have forgotten a line)

They say that the Shack is a mighty fine kite
This we no longer deny
When you're up there with a MIG on your tail
This is the way to get out, tra la la
Stay cool and stay calm and sedate, mate
Don't let your British blood boil
Don't hesitate, slam it straight through the gate
And cover the bastards in oil

Its a start...

[LOMCEVAK]

The version that I learnt many moons ago from an ex-Shackleton pilot was slightly different:

Shackletons don't worry me
Shackletons don't bother me
With four Griffon engines and flaps on their wings
Bless all their pistons and their piston rings
'though the bomb load they carry is small
Three fifths of five eighths of f**k all
You'll get no enjoyment from coastal deployment
So cheer up my lads bless 'em all.

Now they say that the Shack is a very fine kite
Of that there is no doubt
If you're in Korea with a MiG up your rear
Then this is the way to get out
Just be calm, be sedate
Don't let your British blood boil
Just sit up quite straight
Throttle back through the gate
And smother the b**tards in oil.


Whatever happened to singing in the bar on a Friday night?

[The Swinging Monkey]

Slightly off subject, but I remember back in the 80's (I think) , during a long transit from Stanley to ISK Terry Rumble wrote a song about the Mighty Nimrod. It was set to a tune by Marliena Dietrich (sp?) and went something like:

rolling down the runway
throttles open wide
watch the Mighty Nimrod
Sway from side to side

'crew in their seats
they're all strapped in
the engines roar
Oh what a din

we're going on patrol boys
we're going on patrol

As I remember, it went on for several verses
each verse taking the pi$$ out of each crew member!

Sorry to be off the point!

Kind regards
TSM
'Caruthers, time for a song me thinks'

[DK338]

I was told a long time ago when I was a spotty ATC cadet that the Shackleton song started life as the Lancaster song. Likewise I believe the Nimrod song started life in Coastal Command during the last war, the obvious subjects being either the Sunderland, Liberator or Catalina.

I had a book once, that was sadly pinched from me by a RAFP, that was full of WW2 songs. The ones that stuck in my mind were the Airborne Song ( ........he hit the ground the sound was splat..........Glory Glory what a helluva way to die.....) and 487 Sqn's song from their time in the WD, also to Marlene Dietriche's famous song.

[Snakecharmer]

and similarly... I reckon that 'Nimrod' song may have its origins in another 'world'...

Rolling down the runway, throttles open wide
Feel the mighty fighter sliding side to side
Airborne again - without a 'blip'
It's just one more abortive trip...
But we're pressing on regardless
For the Wing Commander's AFC
and bar!

etc etc

Feel free to substitute 'Jehovah' or whatever the real word is in place of 'fighter'!

[Maple 01]

Seem to remember the Shack song sang 'down south' being different to the one quoted earlier. Various people took the parts of the crew and bits of the aircraft - you didn't want to be the number 3 engine!

[CarltonBrowne the FO]

Various people took the parts of the crew and bits of the aircraft - you didn't want to be the number 3 engine!
One year at UGSAS, an unwise second year stude decided to play the game, and opted to be the rear gunner of the Lancaster... imagine his surprise when the cry went up "Fire in the rear turret!" :p

[kippermate]

When I was in UGSAS the unwise second year stude was No3 engine.

He was still as disappointed when the cry went up....

"No3 engine's on fire!!!"

:D

[L1A2 discharged]

SHACKLETONS

Shackletons don't bother me,
Shackletons don't bother me.
Clapped out abortions with flaps on their wings,
oil on their pistons and their piston rings.
For we're saying goodbye to them all,
three fifths of five eighths of f*** all.
You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean,
so cheer up my lads, f*** them all.

Oh they say that the shack is a mighty fine kite,
This we no longer doubt. (na na na na na)
When your up there with a Mig on your tail,
This is the way to get out.
Stay cool and stay calm and sedate, Mate,
Don't let your British blood boil.
Don't hesitate, slam it right through the gate,
and smother the bastard in oil.
Singing, shine shine Somersetshire.
The captain looks on her with pride.
He'd have a blue fit, if he saw all the ****,
on the side of the Somersetshire.
This is my story, this is my song,
I've been in this Air Force too f@@ing long.
So roll on the Rodney, Repulse and Renown,
we'd mention the Hood but the bastard's gone down.

Chocks away, chocks away,
and we'll f*** all the S.P.'s that come down our way.
And their wives, and their wives,
and we'll chase all their daughters for their f@ing lives.

The first thing we'll pray for,
we'll pray for some beer,
Some glorious, glorious, glorious beer.
And if we have one pint, may we also have ten,
may we have a ******* brewery said the airman, amen.

Chocks away, chocks away,.........etc etc.

The next thing we'll pray for,
we'll pray for some money,
some glorious, glorious, glorious money.
and if we have one pound,
may we also have ten,
may we have the bank of England said the airman, amen.

Chocks away, chocks away,.........etc etc.

The next thing we'll pray for,
we'll pray for some women.
Some glorious, glorious, glorious women.
And if we have one woman, may we also have ten,
may we have a ******* brothel said the airman, amen.

Chocks away, chocks away,.........etc etc.

The last thing we'll pray for,
we'll pray for our Queen.
Our glorious, glorious, glorious Queen.
And if she has one son, may she also have ten,
may she have the f@ing air force said the airman, amen.

Chocks away, chocks away,.........etc etc.

[Oggin Aviator]

Some more gems from an old thread here. (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39434&perpage=15&highlight=songs&pagenumber=1)

Oggin

[L1A2 discharged]

and more here ..
http://www.immortalia.com/html/categorized-by-type-of-informant/military-songs/fighter-pilot-songs.htm

[Ray Dahvectac]

Slightly off subject, but I remember back in the 80's (I think) , during a long transit from Stanley to ISK...

Nope, that song was written pre-Falklands. Late 70's during an extended Sqn det to Cyprus if memory serves. :D

[antipodean alligator]

Down here the song was adapted for Neptunes....Same role and seemingly many of the same loveable? traits:

Neptunes they don't bother me
Neptunes they don't bother me
Clapped out contraptions with rips intheir wings
Poofter co-pilots and engines that ping
So if you have a MIG on your tail
Don't let your Aussie blood boil
Don't hesitate, slam 'em right through the gate
And cover the bastards in oil

[pr00ne]

L1A2,

THAT's the version I recall from the late sixties and early seventies, thanks!

Many a time have I seen the engine start up sequence sung at the beginning, all participants pints in hand eagerly awaiting the cry of "fire on No.3" only to be rather surprised with such variants as; "fire in the starter" "the crew chiefs on fire" or similar, followed by everyone's beer heading that way.

Happy days long long ago...................................................

[chippy63]

Can anyone tell me which tune it's sung to?
Thanks.

[TheNightOwl]

Thanks, L1A2, that's the version I recall from many drunken stupors in the Malcolm Club at Tengah in the mid-sixties, word for word!

The "...rolling down the runway...", is, if memory serves, one from the Phantom days, in many, many places.

Kind regards,

TheNightOwl.:ok:

[Ray Dahvectac]

Can anyone tell me which tune it's sung to?

Why, it's sung to the tune of The Shackleton Song of course! :ok:

I think there is another wartime ditty called 'Bless 'Em All' that uses a similar tune though. ;)

[virgo]

An old world war 2 Coastal recitation.........

We've flown all f.....g day at fifty f.....g feet,
Weather f.....g awful, f.....g rain and f.....g sleet.
The f.....g compass needle swinging south and f.....g north,
And we made our f.....g landfall at the Firth of F.....g Forth.

We joined this f.....g airforce 'cos we thought it f.....g right,
But we don't f.....g care if we fly or f.....g fight.
But what we do object to are those f.....g ops-room twots
Who sit there sewing tapes on at a rate of f.....g knots.

[old developer]

Maple 01 is quite correct, in the 60's there were regional variations between the Ballykelly, Kinloss and St Mawgan versions

[Blacksheep]

Speaking of regional variations, don't forget the Changi version sung by those ("..arseholes of the universe, bigger c*nts you've never seen... etc.") extraordinary drinkers, fornicators and part time aviators of 205 V.D. Their 'start-up' introduction was an extraordinary tribute to operating the mighty Griffon in equatorial conditions.

[Tarnished]

Virgo????


Why on earth did you choose to bring this one back to the surface??

Tarnished.

PS

I've heard Lomcevak sing and to be honest I'd rather forget it.

PPS Just kidding Lomcevack, ,,,, want to do a turn at my Burn's Supper in LSA this year????

[Rakshasa]

Ray, that would be this.... yeah it's pretty much the same tune as I remember it.

Substitute bless for the F word, at your own lesiure gents. ;)

Bless 'em all! Bless 'em all!
The long and the short and the tall!
Bless all the Sergeants we have to obey,
Bless all the corp'rals who drill us all day,
'Cos we're saying goodbye to them all,
As back to their barracks they crawl
No ice cream and cookies for flat-footed rookies
Cheer up, my lads Bless 'em all.

Bless 'em all! Bless 'em all!
The long and the short and the tall!
Bless the Commander whose deck we must scrub;
Bless the Chief Steward who hands out the grub
Though we'd rather be caught in a squall
Than dine on that wormwood and gall
Forget all those notions, you're sailing the oceans
So cheer up, my lads, Bless 'em all!

Bless 'em all! Bless 'em all!
The long and the short and the tall!
Bless the instructors who teach us to dive,
Bless all our stars that we still are alive,
For if ever the engine should stall,
We're in for one hell of a fall;
No champagne or vi'lets for dead fighter pilots
So cheer up, my lads, Bless 'em all!

Bless 'em all! Bless 'em all!
The long and the short and the tall!
Bless all the posters with beautiful scenes
They swore we would see if we joined the Marines
'Cos we ain't seen no scenery at all
Except what we scrawl on the wall,
O what if we suffer, Marines have it tougher
So cheer up, my lads, Bless 'em all!

Bless 'em all! Bless 'em all!
The long and the short and the tall!
Bless all the nurses when you're in dry dock
You know that your temp'rature's firm as a rock
But when one grabs your pulse you feel small,
And you know that you've had a close call,
So don't lose your head, just be glad you're in bed
And cheer up, my lads, Bless 'em all!

[Dunhovrin]

I always had assumed the MiG part of the song had been added when we were 8-prop air defenders. Glad to have been corrected.

Between this thread and the one for honkers I'm almost misty-eyed. Must go and stare at a photo of a wave for 8 hours with my head in the washing machine and get the missus to shout "Hello Polestar Hello Polestar. Oops wrong box"every ten minutes. That should cure it.

Best sound in the world was the sound of a Shackleton taking off. Meant you weren't on board.

[El Grifo]

Best sound in the world was the sound of a Shackleton taking off. Meant you weren't on board.

Now that IS funny Dunhovrin !!!


:ok: :O :ok:

[G-CPTN]

1950s ATC (Air Training Corps) song, though doubtless of much earlier vintage:-

He jumped from forty thousand and forgot to pull the cord,
He jumped from forty thousand and forgot to pull the cord,
He jumped from forty thousand and forgot to pull the cord,
And he ain't gonna fly no more.

They scraped him off the tarmac like a pound of strawberry jam,
They scraped him off the tarmac like a pound of strawberry jam,
They scraped him off the tarmac like a pound of strawberry jam,
And he ain't gonna fly no more.

(We were a simple lot, so we needed simple, easy-to-remember lyrics.)

[Pontius Navigator]

G-CPTN

You forgot the

Glory glory hallelula - three times before the - he ain't going to jump no more, again 3 times.

It was, I believe, a US Army refrain written during their para training.

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

The Captain was the last to jump but first to hit the ground
The Captain was the last to jump but first to hit the ground
The Captain was the last to jump but first to hit the ground
And he ain't gonna jump no more

Glory, glory what a heck of a way to die...

[LOMCEVAK]

Tarnished,

I would happily take you up on the offer but it is a little far from EGDM. Glad to see that you are keeping the old traditions alive.

Happy New Year

L

[ARINC]

What were the Shack names...??

I remember vaguely Zebedee, Florence etc...Magic roundabout ?

40 thousand rivets flying in close formation.. Fantastic smell of leather much like the Vulcan.

[old developer]

yep, leather and Racasan

[Pom Pax]

Can somebody supply a few lines or verses of You can't get to heaven in a Meteor Jet, all I can think of is "they don't fly that high yet!"

[PPRuNe Radar]

Another slightly different version from Air Cadet days:


He jumped without a parachute from 40 thousand feet,
He jumped without a parachute from 40 thousand feet,
He jumped without a parachute from 40 thousand feet,
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

Glory, glory, what a hell of a way to die,
Suspended by your braces with your balls up in the sky,
He tried to pull his ripcord,
But instead he pulled his fly,
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

They scraped him off the runway like a lump of strawberry jam,
They scraped him off the runway like a lump of strawberry jam,
They scraped him off the runway like a lump of strawberry jam,
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

Glory, glory ......... etc.

They put him in a jam jar and they sent him home to Mum,
They put him in a jam jar and they sent him home to Mum,
They put him in a jam jar and they sent him home to Mum,
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

Glory, glory ....... etc.

She put him on the mantle piece among the souvenirs,
She put him on the mantle piece among the souvenirs,
She put him on the mantle piece among the souvenirs,
And ...... he ....... ain't ...... gonna ...... jump ..... no ...... more.



Or the US Airborne version:

He was just a cherry trooper and he surely shook with fright
as he checked all his equipment and made sure his pack was tight
He had to sit and listen to the awful engines roar,
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

"Is everybody happy?" cried the Sergeant, looking up.
Our hero feebly answered "yes," and then they stood him up.
He leaped right out into the blast, his static line unhooked.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:
He counted long, he counted loud, he waited for the shock;
He felt the wind, he felt the clouds, he felt the awful drop;
He jerked his cord, the silk spilled out and wrapped around his legs.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:

The risers wrapped around his neck, connectors cracked his dome;
The lines were snarled and tied in knots, around his skinny bones;
The canopy became his shroud, he hurtled to the ground.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:

The days he’d lived and loved and laughed kept running through his mind;
He thought about the girl back home, the one he’d left behind;
He thought about the medics and wondered what they’ed find.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:

The ambulance was on the spot, the jeeps were running wild;
The medics jumped and screamed with glee, they rolled their sleeves and smiled;
For it had been a week or more since last a chute had failed.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:

He hit the ground, the sound was splat, his blood went spurting high;
His comrades were then heard to say, "A helluve way to die";
He lay there rolling ‘round in the welter of his gore.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:

There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the chute;
Intestines were a-dangling from this paratrooper’s boots;
They picked him up, still in his chute and poured him from his boots.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:

[LowObservable]

You'll never get to Heaven in a PBY,
'Cause a PBY don't fly that high.


- quite common, I think