Bill was a fellow student teacher - a droll fellow with a dry sense of humor. He'd get on a subject and once he knew folks found it amusing, got us laughing and begging him to stop. His room heater was broken, and he didn't know that the flat enameled white thing under the window was a radiator. He just assumed that since it was England, there was no heat in the rooms. He kept quiet about it for a while, but finally mentioned it to me and it was fixed. He told the story over and over again about how he didn't expect much in London, but thought at least he'd have a little heat in his room.
Another ongoing, oft repeated joke of his was about the #1 song in UK in January 1979, Ian Dury & The Blockheads' Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick. He'd burst out laughing whenever it came on, then would move to the beat and sing along, waving imaginary sticks in the air, on tables, on people.
When I needed dowels for a project I was working on in the 2nd-year classroom where I student taught, I got a couple extra for him, decorated them and presented him with his own pair of rhythm sticks.
Nothing profound, nothing amazing. Just a fond memory of a funny guy and silly song.
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (Opens up a new browser at The Blockheads' Website)
In the deserts of Sudan
And the gardens of Japan
From Milan to Yucatán
Every woman, every man
Hit me with your rhythm stick
Hit me! Hit me!
Je t'adore, ich liebe dich
Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!
Hit me with your rhythm stick
Hit me slowly, hit me quick
Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!
In the wilds of Borneo
And the vineyards of Bordeaux
Eskimo, Arapaho
Move their body to and fro
Hit me with your rhythm stick
Hit me! Hit me!
Das ist gut, c'est fantastique
Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!
Hit me with your rhythm stick
It's nice to be a lunatic
Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!
Hit me! Hit me! Hit...
In the dock of Tiger Bay
On the road to Mandalay
From Bombay to Santa Fé
O'er the hills and far away
Hit me with your rhythm stick
Hit me! Hit me!
C'est si bon, ist es nicht
Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!
Hit me with your rhythm stick
Two fat persons, click, click, click
Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!
Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!
Hit me!
Hit me!
Hit me!
Hit me!
Hit me!
Hit me! Hit me!
Hit me!
Don't Panic, here is what the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has to say.
2 comments:
O.K. now I'm REALLY worried about you. That song has always given me the creeps.
It makes me think of male on male activities. Which while I'm quite liberal, I don't enjoy visualizing the behind close doors part.
hmm, that hadn't occured to me at all. I thought they were just going wild with drumsticks.
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