CHAT: farragos

I'm working at home today, and when I took a break to do a chore or two,
I found myself singing _sotto voce_ the following hideous farrago*:

        Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching,
        Waving their banners as they come,
                Whether on the scaffold high,
                Or the battlefield we die,
        Jesus loves the little children of the world!

I cannot trace the second line, but it appears to be a mutant version
of the song "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!" to which the first line belongs;
the 2nd and 3rd lines belong to "God Save Ireland" and the last line
to a hymn.  All share the same tune.

This led me to recall a still worse farrago, which I learned in the
early 70's from a nostalgia-record commercial.  This one is sung to a
medley, and I present it for the shuddersome delectation of listmembers
of a certain age....

        Blue, I'm blue, heartache on heartache
        Blue, I'm blue, now that we are through # My darling, most of all,
        I love how you love me # There
        I've said it again # Lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely #
        I'll send you all my love
        In a letter
        Sealed with a kiss.  # Blue, I'm blue [repeat forever]

*farrago: a confused mixture < Latin, mixed fodder < *far* 'spelt, barley'

--
John Cowan                                   cowan@ccil.org
        "You need a change: try Canada"  "You need a change: try China"
                --fortune cookies opened by a couple that I know