I submitted this one several times without success and even rejigged it a bit in October 1993 with hope for the John Random run, with similar results.
Perhaps foodie stuff just didn’t seem topical enough, although I feel that trend towards ubiquitous fusion food did kick off around then.
Indeed one of the ironies that comes to my mind on re-reading this song is that the Canal Cafe’s food concession was taken by a Thai chef soon after I wrote this song – probably the best food set up they had at the place during that 1990’s era.
Click here for a link to the original lyrics of the song.
Below is my somewhat improved October 1993 version of the song:
THAI AND YELLOW CHICKEN – VERSION 2
(To the Tune of “Tie a Yellow Ribbon”)
VERSE 1
I’m up in town I’ve done my job,
And at home there’s nothing cooking on the hob;
Me and my pals we’ll try a pub that’s called the Old Oak Tree,
We’ll have a simple dinner and we’ll drink a pint or three, but what’s this grub I see?
CHORUS 1
Oh Thai and yellow chicken in the Old Oak Tree,
After three long pints we want chips and peas, {chips and peas}
We don’t want Myanmaran chicken or Vietnamese,
We’ll kick up a fuss, get on the bus, lets go home and see,
If there is something plain and simple down the old home freeze.
VERSE 2
My pals and I we’ll pay a call,
To the late night shops where there is a food hall;
We’ll choose some beer and lager then we’ll go and choose I guess,
Some simple cook chill dinners that we’ll buy from M&S, but these appeal still less.
CHORUS 2
Oh Thai and yellow chicken in the old home freeze,
There’s Malaysian duck or there’s Guangdongese {Guangdongese}
There’s oven ready Singaporan beef and Pekinese,
A Pol Pot noodle, Rambutan strudel, someone spare us please,
From imitation oriental in the old home freeze.
VERSE 3
My pals and I we all agreed,
That we’re partial to an oriental feed,
But we like to taste the spices rather than a plastic sheet,
We’ll try the Chinese restaurant and get some food we’ll eat, then we’ll be replete.
CHORUS 3 AND OUTRO
Oh Thai and yellow chicken in the old Chinese,
We’ll get three strong meals in the Gold Yangtze…….
But the whole food trade’s gone crazy,
Cos I can’t believe I see,
A hundred pukka pies and chips inside the Gold Yangtze.
(c) Ian Harris 1993