Hurrah! Harrah! I have discovered a "Tower Record" site that has audio samples of 21 of the best Limeliter songs on it. Please go and make sure to listen to "The Ballad of Vicky Dugan" and "Harry Pollitt," among others.
(Hey, I used to do "Standup" out in LA with these songs.)
towerrecords.com
This one is the story of Harry Pollitt. Harry Pollitt was at one time a very influential member of the Communist Party in England, until he was finally thrown out; and when they threw him out, they wrote a song about him as if he were dead. And it goes like this:
Harry Pollitt was a worker; one of Lenin's lads
He was foully murdered by those counter revolutionary cads
Counter revolutionary cads, counter revolutionary cads
He was foully murdered by those counter revolutionary cads!
Old Harry went to heaven
He reached the Gates with ease,
Said, "May I speak with Comrade God;
I am Harry Pollitt please
I'm Harry Pollitt please, I'm Harry Pollitt please,
May I speak with Comrade God, I am Harry Pollitt please."
"Who are you' said Saint Peter, "Are you humble and contrite?"
"I'm a friend of Lady Astors."
"Well, OK. that's quite alright.
OK, that's quite alright, well OK. that's alright
You're a friend of Lady Astor, well OK that's quite alright."
They put him in the choir, but the hymns he did not like
So he organized the angels and he led them out on strike
Led them out on strike, Led them out on strike
He organized the angels and he led them out on strike!
One day when God was walking around heaven to medidate,
Who should he see but Harry chalkin' slogans on the gate?
Chalkin' slogans on the gate, slogans on the gate
Who should he see but Harry chalkin' slogans on the gate?
Well, they brought him up for trial before the Holy Ghost
For spreadin' disaffection amongst the heavenly hosts
Amongst the heavenly hosts, amongst the heavenly hosts
For spreadin' disaffection amongst the heavenly hosts
Well, the verdict it was guilty, Harry said "Ah, well'
And he tucked his nightie 'round his knees and he drifted down to hell
Yes, he drifted down to hell, he drifted down to hell
He tucked his nightie 'round his knees and he drifted down to hell.
Now seven long years have passed, Harry's doing swell
He's just been made the first people's commissar for soviet hell,
Commissar of soviet hell, commissar of soviet hell
He's just been made the first people's commissar of soviet hell!
Well the moral of this story Is easy for to tell,
If you want to be a Bolshevik,
You'll have to got to hell,
If you want to be a bolshevik, you'll have to go to hell,
Yes, you'll have to go to hell,
If you want to be a Bolshevik,
You'll have to go to hell! |
