Finding
poetry, short stories, and even songs in magazines was common up
until sometime in the 1970s. I'm not sure why it stopped (or nearly
so), but as a reader of many vintage magazine types - airplanes,
woodworking, mechanics, electronics, and others - I can attest to
it. Both here on Airplanes and Rockets and on my RF Cafe engineering
website, I have posted quite a few examples. Here is yet another
from the July/August 1963 edition of American Modeler. As time goes
by, I wonder how many of today's readers are even familiar with
some of the tunes the songs are meant to follow. What Next? -
Modelin' Folk Singers
By Dick Schwarzchild
TERRIBLE
TRIO (To the tune of Three Blind Mice) Three
blind judges, three blind judges, What's with you? What's with
you? Why do you look in the sky so late? You always goof
on my figure eight. Once I'm airborne I can't wait. Phooey
on you! You! You! You! THAT'S JAN ALL OVER
(To the tune of Clementine) In a cellar, in a cellar,
dwelt a modeler name of Jan. Oh he never saw much daylight for
he had a master plan. (CHORUS) Oh the wonder,
oh the wonder, oh the wonder of it all. He will solve a major
problem and will surely have a ball. First some balsa, some
good balsa, then some pins and sticky glue. And a square of
heavy nylon with a dab of clear dope too. (CHORUS) Then
to try it, can't deny it, t'was a most unusual plane. Sixteen
wheels-a large umbrella, and crossed with a weather vane.
(CHORUS) Got it going, got it going, took it up into the
air. Did the full R/C stunt pattern, landed smoothly with no
care. (CHORUS) What's the gimmick? What's the gimmick?
Why sing of this modeler's lore? Well the plane was a ten
footer, but the modeler, one foot four! (CHORUS) He
did fly it, he did fly it. He sat at the real controls. He was
airborne twenty minutes doing eights and some slow rolls. (CHORUS) Oh the wonder, oh the wonder, oh the wonder of it all.
He sure solved a major problem and he truly had a ball ...
Till
fall ... Had a stall ..... Hit a wall ..... That's all!!!
I'M HEADIN' FOR THE HILLS, BOYS
(To the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel) All around the
speed ar e a, the flyers found some earth banks. They scattered
like a load of shot when Pop went the bell-cranks!
REAL ORIGINAL STUFF, HEY? (To the tune of Oh Susanna)
Oh I come from American Modeler with my pencil in
my hand, I'm going to make a copy of your National's winning
plan. Your fame will spread both far and wide, you'll really
be well known, And just because you switched your rig and now
are using tone. Oh cruel modeler, how could you be so mean?
Your circuit is a copy of the guts of "Mr. Machine."
RECORD
FLIGHT, RIGHT? (To the tune of Brother John) Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven Up so far, up so far,
If you see my free flight at a record new height It's no star,
it's no star. Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, Like
Noah's ark, like Noah's ark, Get out your tape measure, you'll
increase my pleasure With a new mark, with a new mark.
Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, Come on down, come on
down. AMA won't buy it, claims I didn't fly it.
I
think I'll drown, I think I'll drown! LAMENT
OF THE NON-DETHERNALIZED (To the tune of the Artillery
Song) Over hill, over dale, why did my short fuse
fail, so my free flight went sailing along? Through the muck
and the mire, gee I started to perspire, as my free flight went
sailing along. Oh it's "drat" and it's "darn," the fool thing
hit a barn and smashed the nose to smithereens! So where ere
you go you will always know that I wrote this to the sound of my
screams ... Oh I'm hurting ... That I'm having some awful
bad dreams! GOOD WHILE THEY LASTED
(To the tune of Good Night Ladies) Good loop Henry,
good dive Bill, too bad it happened, you both got a kill! Now
you pick up many a spar, cracked spray bar, from the tar. Now
you gather all the parts and head for the glue ... So blue ....
. In a stew ..... . Whew!!! Try
out my
Scale Calculator for Model Airplane Plans.
http://www.modelaircraft.org/plans.aspx
Posted July 28, 2012
|