Hooptedoodle #92 – With My Little Ukulele in My Hand

Everyone's favourite ukulele player - Marilyn Monroe in "Some Like It Hot"

As part of the rather daunting job of migrating my document files over to the new iMac desktop, I was ploughing through a load of old stuff, much of which is just to be deleted, when I found a (sort of) poem. This, I recall, was a competition entry commissioned by my good wife. The person submitting the best piece on the subject of Owning a Ukulele (in the opinion of the judges) would win a concert-quality instrument which would be the envy of all their friends and neighbours...

Owning a Ukulele

Owning a ukulele, why,

It changed my entire way of life.
I practised till I was ready,

And I said cheerio to the wife.

Then I set off to make my fortune,

The world’s greatest one-man band.

Oh, those cheers, all that adulation –

I was feted throughout the land.

People would come up and shake my hand,

Sometimes in groups, sometimes singly,

But, now that my Nationwide tour is done,

I’m back outside Bradford & Bingley.

MSF

You will be reassured to learn that this did not win anything. It should be recited in a George Formby accent for full effect.

If non-UK readers do not understand the buskers’ joke about UK building societies, don’t worry about it – not worth explaining. If you do not know who or what George Formby was then you have my congratulations. Here is a short YouTube clip to show the man at his peak, revealing why the tradition of British music-hall is famed and hated the world over.