"From the Halls of Montezuma" (the Marine's Hymn) inspired plenty of "destroy the school" songs.
Some that Kay Shapero herself remembered from California in the 1950s:
From the halls of 54th St.
To the shores of Malibu
We will fight our teacher battle
And break the golden rule
We will fight for right and freedom
And to keep our desks a mess
We are proud to claim the title
Of the Teacher's Little Pests.
"From the halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli
We will knock out all the teachers
And throw them in the sea.
We will shoot down all the principals
And throw them in a lake.
Tomorrow we will bring to school
A great big rattlesnake!"
Bronner collected this one from the 70s:
From the halls of Montezuma
to the shores of bubble gum bay
we will fight our teacher's battles
with spitballs mud and clay
We will fight for lunch and recess
and to keep our desks a mess
we are proud to claim the title
of "teacher's number-one pest"
The same one was collected by Sherman in the 90s. Other versions generally seem to be a mashup of lines from these three. Possibly because it was an American army song, no version of this seems to be in any of Peter and Iona Opie's books from the UK. Did it ever make it over there?
It's tempting to guess that this song started out as a parody sung in the army that filtered down to schools, but since it's so school-oriented, I'd say it's more likely by a kid.
Similar to the song I remember from Indiana grade school in the mid-to-late '50s.
ReplyDelete(Sung to the tune of "the Battle Hymn of the Republic")
"Mine eyes have seen the glory
of the burning of the school,
We have tortured every teacher;
We have broken every rule..."
The rest seems to escape me, but there was more.
Got yer back! http://www.playgroundjungle.com/2009/12/mine-eyes-have-seen-glory-of-burning-of.html
ReplyDelete"Then we went down to the Office
ReplyDeleteAnd we shot the Principal
Us kids are marching on....
Glory, glory hallelujah
Teacher hit me with a ruler
I hid behind the door
With a Colt .44
And there ain't no teacher no more!"
1960's, Lorain, Ohio
-----ALSO-----
Ta-ra-ra-BOOM-de-ay
There is no school today
Our teacher passed away
She died of tooth decay.
We threw her in the bay
She scared the fish away
And when they pulled her out
She smelled like sauerkraut.
Tar ra ra BOOM de ay,
ReplyDeleteour teacher passed away, (or died today)
we threw her in the bay
to scare the sharks away
come on let's fish her out
we'll stake her for a trout
she would have won first prize
she's of enormous size
Ta ra ra BOOM de-ay
ReplyDeleteI'll take your clothes away!
And while your standing there
I'll take your underwear!
And then on an ending phrase
(Then you'll be baaaaaaare....!)
From the halls of montezuma
ReplyDeleteTo the shores of bubble gum bay
I have fought my classrooms battles
With spitballs and razor blades
I have fought for longer recess
And to keep a messy desk
I am proud to hold the title
As the teachers biggest pest!
Sacramento, ca
Late 60's early 70's