Month: January 1994

It possibly needs to be said that, back in the early to mid 1990s, the voices of IRA and Sinn Fein people could not be broadcast on UK media, so their words would be spoken by an actor.

This lyric is about the politics of all that Ireland stuff at that time.

There are several versions and I’m not sure how many, if any, were used. I don’t think the first/original version was used.

_ THE VOICE OVER _

(To the Tune of “The Wild Rover”)
 
VERSE 1 – GERRY ADAMS
 
(Obviously a voice over)I’ve needed voice overs for many a year,
Cos I spent all me time spreading terrorist fear;
But now that the Irish and British accord,
I might never have this voice over no more.
(His own voice now)So its no nay never,
IRA will no more,
Have a pointless voice over,
No never, no more.
 
VERSE 2 – THE GIRLS
 
We’re from Northern Ireland which you might console,
Tho’ at least we’re allowed to employ birth control;
But now Patrick Mayhew works with Fienna Foil,
They might stop us using the pill and the coil.
And once we’ve got rhythm,
To be sure to be sure,
We won’t get our legs over,
No never, no more.
 
VERSE 3 – THE REVERAND IAN PAISLEY
 
I’ve been a wild vicar for many an age,
Cos I spend all me time preaching hellfire and rage;
But now that the British might elbow me out,
I’ll get really angry and bellow and shout.
And I’ll lose my temper,
Cause a loyalist riot,
And you’ll know my life’s over,
The day I keep quiet.
 
FINAL CHORUS – ALL
 
So in Northern Ireland,
No nay never no way,
Will the violence give over,
Not yet anyway.

Below is a video of The Dubliners singing The Wild Rover with the lyrics on the screen:

I tried submitting a simplified version of the lyric a bit later in January 1994 – I think this was by request and I think one might have been used:

_ THE VOICE OVER _

(To the Tune of “The Wild Rover”)
 
VERSE 1 – GERRY ADAMS
 
(Obviously a voice over)I’ve needed voice overs for many a year,
Cos I spent all me time spreading terrorist fear;
But now that the Irish and British accord,
I might never have this voice over no more.
(His own voice now)So its no nay never,
IRA will no more,
Have a pointless voice over,
No never, no more.
 
VERSE 2 – THE REVERAND IAN PAISLEY
 
I’ve been a wild vicar for many an age,
Cos I spend all me time preaching hellfire and rage;
But now that the British might elbow me out,
I’ll get really angry and bellow and shout.
And I’ll lose my temper,
Cause a loyalist riot,
And you’ll know my life’s over,
The day I keep quiet.
 
FINAL CHORUS
 
So in Northern Ireland,
No nay never no way,
Will the violence give over,
Not yet anyway.

In May 1994 I added an additional verse at the start. I’m pretty sure this version wasn’t used in the show:

VERSE 1 – MAD MULLAH
 
I’ve been a mad mullah for many a year,
Cos I spend all my time making novelists fear;
They claim that we mullahs back the IRA,
With Iranian weapons, but we say “no way”.
Yes it’s no way never, (CHORUS:right up your cassock)
Would we fund Irish blarney,
Cos their actor voice overs,
Can’t say “Rafsanjani”.

In September 1994 I added a suggested interlude between the Adams and the Paisley verses, which again, I’m pretty sure, wasn’t used:

[Optional Patrick Mayhew or John Major: I’m not convinced that the phrases “no nay never”, “no never” and “no more” mean the same thing as perminent. It is not clear. Now if Gerry Adams had made it clear, in whatever form of words he liked, you wouldn’t have had to suffer Ian Paisley singing the next verse]

This one got used a lot by various people over the years – it has a timeless quality really, apart from in mega boom times.

I really like it still, writing this up in October 2018:

_ THERE’S NO BUSINESS _

(To the Tune of “There’s No Business Like Show Business”)

 

VERSE 1

 

The miners, the builders, the dockers, the erks,

The workers who are made to foot the bill;

The bosses, employers, directors and berks,

Who pay themselves fat bonuses at will;

The green shoots that are growing like a snail,

The companies that are about to fail.

 

CHORUS 1

 

There’s no business, just slow business, and so businesses close;

All our infrastructure is unpeeling,

Everything is rotting to the core,

Britain’s bosses all are so unfeeling,

When they’re revealing,

They’re sacking more.

 

CHORUS 2

 

We’ve no people, to grow people and so people must go,

Industry’s a turkey so decayed and old,

That leaves folks stranded out in the cold,

Everybody’s business is about to fold,

So sing, dance and amuse,

Revue gladdens the news.

I had completely forgotten that original closing couplet, aiming the song as an opening or closing number for the show. It was replaced by various couplets at times, sometimes naming Chancellors, but perennially:

The market’s out of control,

We’ll all land on the dole.

Here is a clip from the movie Annie Get Your Gun:

The following version has Ethel Merman and the lyrics if you click through: