Reasons to be Cheerful.

Date: 08 September 2011 12:43:44

I've just visited a blogsite called "Reasons to be Cheerful, 1,2,3" and it reminded me (as it would) of one of my favourite Ian Dury songs. There are many that I like, but this one is just so cheerful and clever.

Here are the lyrics:

Why don't you get back into bed...

Reasons to be cheerful part 3

1 2 3

Summer, Buddy Holly, the working folly
Good golly Miss Molly and boats
Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet
Jump back in the alley and nanny goats

18-wheeler Scammels, Domenecker camels
All other mammals plus equal votes
Seeing Piccadilly, Fanny Smith and Willy
Being rather silly, and porridge oats

A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it
You're welcome, we can spare it - yellow socks
Too short to be haughty, too nutty to be naughty
Going on 40 - no electric shocks

The juice of the carrot, the smile of the parrot
A little drop of claret - anything that rocks
Elvis and Scotty, days when I ain't spotty,
Sitting on the potty - curing smallpox

Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3

1 2 3

Reasons to be cheerful part 3

Health service glasses
Gigolos and brasses
round or skinny bottoms

Take your mum to Paris
lighting up the chalice
Wee Willy Harris

Bantu Stephen Biko, listening to Rico
Harpo, Groucho, Chico

Cheddar cheese and pickle, the Vincent motorsickle
Slap and tickle
Woody Allen, Dali, Dimitri and Pasquale
balabalabala and Volare

Something nice to study, phoning up a buddy
Being in my nuddy
Saying hokey-dokey, Sing Along With Smokey
Coming out of chokey

John Coltrane's soprano, Adi Celentano
Bonar Colleano

Reasons to be cheerful part 3

I particularly feel cheerful when I think of nanny goats, being rather silly, and porridge oats (particularly in the form of flapjack!) A little bit of claret is always good, as is cheddar cheese and pickle! More seriously, of course, equal votes is a Good Thing. And we actually saw Wee Willy Harris on the interesting programme "Reel History of Britain".

This song reminds me of a school assembly I did, when we listed the things we were cheerful about. I don't think we listened to the song - it's not really that suitable for primary school children! The list that we made together was long, including Mum and Dad, my kitten, my friends - the ones you might expect from 8 year olds. But it also included things like "sunsets", "Mr Winter being funny" (he was our headteacher. A good administrative head, but not so great with children - but he'd obviously made an impression on this child!), and "God". It was a really good assembly which made me smile as the children really thought about what made them cheerful, and at the end we had a brilliantly diverse and amusing list.

And me? What makes me cheerful? Llamas. Friends. Chocolate. Mr D (bien sur!). Cats. Wine. Friends (again. They deserve to go on the list twice). Work. (No, really! I love my work. Though I'd rather not do it, I do love it.) Blogging friends. Stars. Memories.

And, above it all, the deep assurance that God loves me. But then, maybe that's more joy than cheerfulness.

And while searching for a picture of llamas I came across the tag "Llamas In Hats" ...that deserves to be explored!

And here is a link to an audio of the song by the brilliant Ian Dury & the Blockheads.

What are your Reasons to be cheerful, one, two, three!!!