This one was too complicated by half. It would have been very difficult to sing/choreograph. It was a tricky subject (peace talks) and the choice of tune is slow for a comedy song.
I remember trying this out on/with work mates at a BDO Consulting training course. It didn’t go well, although we did have a laugh…at ourselves trying to sing it.
Still I submitted it a few times, including the January 1993 Bowden submission. I’m pretty sure to no avail.
If someone had simply come up with the guts to perform this lyric, I’m pretty sure that peace would have broken out in the Middle East. “Okay, okay, we’ll freeze settlements, we’ll stop terrorising people, just don’t sing us that dirgey song”.
♬ MIDNIGHT PLANE TO JORDAN ♬
(To the Tune of “Midnight Train to Georgia”)
VERSE 1
(VOICEOVER:Ladies and Gentlemen, Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas is proud to present, Gladys Flight and the Tips).
BA flew too far from Amman {too far from Amman, he couldn’t get there},
So he’s chartered a flight all of his own, oh-oh,
{He said he’s goin’} Said he’s goanna find the man {goanna find the man}
Ohhh-ohhh who runs Jordan land,
That peace talks left behind in the desert sand, oh no.
CHORUS 1
He’s leavin’ {leavin’} on that midnight plane to Jordan
{Leavin on the midnight plane} yeh
Said he’s goin’ out to find {goin’ out to find}
An old King who’ll change his mind,
{Wherever he takes that flight, he’d better go and see that Hashemite}
Peace will be with him {I know it will}
On that midnight plane to Jordan {leavin on the midnight plane, bing-bong}
He’d rather give up his oil {give up his oil}
Than let the peace talks decline {crude oil for peace this is not refined}
VERSE 2
He kept dreamin’ {dreamin’} ohhh that soon he would see Hussein
{that’s King Hussein, cos Saddam is insane}
And he’ll ask that Sunni whether he’ll come round soon for Dinar
{cash could make his dreams come true, ah-ha, oh-oh}
He’ll invite al-Assad {ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh}
And even Yitzhak Rabin {ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh}
But poor Yassar Arafat, has to take, the other’s scraps,
Oh yes he does, that’s how it is.
CHORUS 2
I know he’s leavin’ {leavin’} on that midnight plane to Jordan
{Leavin on the midnight plane} yeh
Said he’s goin’ out to plan {goin’ out to plan}
A partition of the land
{He had better mediate, else it’s goanna be like ’48}
Peace will be with him {It better had}
On that midnight plane to Jordan {leavin on the midnight plane, bing-bong}
He’ll have to find an accord {find an accord}
Where land is in high demand
(Repeat favourite bits with ooh-oohs and aah-aahs while dancing off)
copyright © Ian Harris 1992
Here’s a revised version of the lyric which I tried again in September 1993:
MIDNIGHT PLANE TO JORDAN – PEACE TALKS VERSION
(To the Tune of “Midnight Train to Georgia”)
VERSE 1
El Al flew too far from Amman {too far from Amman, he couldn’t get there},
So he’s chartered a flight all of his own, oh-oh,
{I say he’s Warren} Say he’s Warren Christopher {Warren Christopher},
Ohhh-ohhh to see Mustapha,
Who is the guest-of-a, Jordan desert king, oh oh.
CHORUS 1
He’s leavin’ {leavin’} on that midnight plane to Jordan,
{Leavin on the midnight plane} yeh
Said he’s goin’ out to find {goin’ out to find}
An old King who’ll change his mind,
{Wherever he takes that flight, he’d better go and see that Hashemite}
Peace will be with him {I know it will}
On that midnight plane to Jordan {leavin on the midnight plane, bing-bong}
He’ll have to give up his oil {give up his oil}
Or let the peace talks decline {crude oil for peace this is not refined}
VERSE 2
Warren’s dreamin’ {dreamin’} ohhh that soon he will see Hussein
{that’s King Hussein, cos Saddam is insane}
And he’ll ask that Sunni whether he’ll come round soon for Dinar
{cash could make his dreams come true, ah-ha, oh-oh}
He’ll involve al-Assad {ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh}
And even Yitzhak Rabin {ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh}
And Hannan Ashwari, and Ya-sser Arafat,
Unless he sends, some other pratt.
CHORUS 2
Amd they’re all leavin’ {leavin’} on that midnight plane to Jordan
{Leavin on the midnight plane} yeh
They’re all goin’ out to plan {goin’ out to plan}
A partition of the land
{Someone better mediate, else it’s gonna be like ’48}
Peace will be with them {It better had}
On that midnight plane to Jordan {leavin on the midnight plane, bing-bong}
It’s hard to find an accord {find an accord}
Where land is in high demand.