So well known that Groucho Marx dedicated a ballad to this lady!
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Friday, June 27, 2014
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9 comments:
Lydia oh Lydia, that encyclopedia,
Oh Lydia the Queen of Tattoo.
On her back is the Battle of Waterloo.
Beside it The Wreck of the Hesperus, too.
And proudly above waves the Red, White, and Blue,
You can learn a lot from Lydia.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4zRe_wvJw8
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Lyricist Yip Harburg wrote all the song for The Wizard of Oz in addition to "Lydia".
Wasn't there a verse about climbing Bunker Hill?
I have been known to, on very rare occasions, entertain friends with my attempt at singing Lydia. As the gathering progresses into the night the better I sound.
All together now!
---
She was the most glorious creature
Under the su-un.
Thais. DuBarry. Garbo.
Rolled into one.
Oooooooh
Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia,
Lydia, the Tattooed Lady.
She has eyes that folks adore so,
And a torso even more so.
Lydia oh Lydia, that encyclopedia,
Oh Lydia the Queen of Tattoo.
On her back is the Battle of Waterloo.
Beside it The Wreck of the Hesperus, too.
And proudly above waves the Red, White, and Blue,
You can learn a lot from Lydia.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la
When her robe is unfurled, she will show you the world,
If you step up and tell her where.
For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paris,
Or Washington Crossing the Delaware.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la
Oh Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia,
Oh Lydia the Tattooed Lady
When her muscles start relaxing,
Up the hill comes Andrew Jackson
Lydia oh Lydia, that encyclopedia,
oh Lydia the queen of them all!
For two bits she will do a mazurka in jazz,
With a view of Niagara that nobody has.
And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz.
You can learn a lot from Lydia.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la
Come along and see Buff'lo Bill with his lasso.
Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso.
Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon.
Here's Godiva but with her pajamas on.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la
Here is Grover Whalen unveilin' the Trylon.
Over on the West Coast we have Treasure Island.
Here's Nijinsky a-doin' the rumba.
Here's her social security numba.
(whistles)
Oh Lydia, oh Lydia that encyclopedia,
Oh Lydia the champ of them all.
She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet.
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat.
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet,
For he went and married Lydia.
I said Lydia (He said Lydia)
I said Lydia (We said Lydia)
When her muscles start relaxin' up the hill goes Andrew Jackson.
I don't believe it was Bunker Hill tho'
No, it was more like.....On her chest was Bunker Hill!
Buckles: I remember the line about on her chest was Bunker Hill but I'm not sure it was from this song. I heard it at a medicine show many years ago.
Buckles: I just remembered the Bunker Hill song was a parody of "Let the Rest of the World go by."
Part of it went: On her chest was Bunker Hill, her back was Brazil and a little down below was Mexico.
I found it on the net:
Her back was Brazil, her chest was bunker hill
And just a little bit below was Mexico
Her shoulder blades were Japanese
‘Round her waist I think ‘twas Greece
One leg was Siam, the
other Hindustan
I don’t know much about her thigh
For then I saw my wife
And just to save my life
I let the rest of the world go by.
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