We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

From the Sidelines

from CURLY'S AIRSHIPS by JUDGE SMITH

/

lyrics

CURLY:
You couldn't accuse them
Of thinking too small.
The new ships would each take
Five million cubic feet of gas,
More than two-and-a-half times
As big as 'Tiny',
And carry one hundred passengers
And eight tons of mail
To Canada or Karachi.
I followed events for five years
From the sidelines,
But I had remained a
Member of the Royal Aero Club
And I'd stand in the bar
With my ear to the ground...
Well you know what I mean...
Hungry for any inside dope,
Making sure the Big Fellows
Didn't forget me,
'Cause I had to be a part of it.
This is what I thought airships were for
And I'd be damned if I'd let them
Fly off without me...

I wanna fly...
I wanna fly...
I wanna fly...
I wanna fly...
I wanna fly...
I wanna fly...

It wasn't hard to get news
Of the Government Ship,
The one that they called the R.101,
In fact you could hardly avoid it.
The Air Ministry turned
A whole pack of Press Agents loose.
Hunting down stories or cooking them up
Then they'd feed them to Fleet Street
Who swallowed them all
And came back for more.
Typewriters always seem hungry...

AIR MINISTRY PR:-
National Enterprise...
The full resources of the State...

THE GENTLEMEN OF THE PRESS:-
No expense spared
Says Government spokesman...
No half measures for dirigible flagship...

AIR MINISTRY PR:-
Teams of experts...
Government scientists....

THE GENTLEMEN OF THE PRESS:-
Hats off to the airship master-brains...
Boffins in the clouds
From our Special Correspondent....

AIR MINISTRY PR:-
Fundamental research...
Fearless innovation...

THE GENTLEMEN OF THE PRESS:-
A triumph of science and technology...
Airship will fly
With a hundred new inventions..

AIR MINISTRY PR:-
Power steering
with feather-light controls!...

THE GENTLEMEN OF THE PRESS:-
Triumph of British engineering...
Elegant staterooms, full central heating...
Free supplement
With special illustrations...
A triumph of British engineering...
A triumph!..

credits

from CURLY'S AIRSHIPS, released April 10, 2020
Vocal Credits:-
CURLY - JUDGE
THE AIR MINISTRY PR - PAUL THOMPSON
THE GENTLEMEN OF THE PRESS - JUDGE, PAUL ROBERTS, JOHN ELLIS & DAVID SHAW-PARKER

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

JUDGE SMITH Glastonbury, UK

Judge Smith co-founded the band Van der Graaf Generator in 1967 with Peter Hammill, & has since been involved in many music projects as writer, composer or performer. He has written stage musicals, classical & rock libretti, songs for television & a book on Life after Death; directed a prize-winning short film, & released fourteen CDs & two DVDs. He was born in 1948 & lives near Glastonbury, UK. ... more

contact / help

Contact JUDGE SMITH

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this track or account

If you like JUDGE SMITH, you may also like: