He jumped without a parachute
There are LOTS of songs set to the tune of "John Brown's Body,
a.k.a.
The Battle Hymn of the Republic : this is just one of them ... there
are
many variations of this song - you may know a different version.
Charlie was a parachutist in the RAF,
Charlie was a parachutist in the RAF,
Charlie was a parachutist in the RAF,
But he ain't gonna jump no more
**Chorus : Glory, glory what a helluva*
way to die,
Glory glory, what a helluva way to die
Glory glory, what a helluva way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more.
He jumped without a parachute from forty thousand
feet,
He jumped without a parachute from forty thousand feet,
He jumped without a parachute from forty thousand feet,
And he ain't gonna jump no more
Chorus : Glory, glory what a helluva* way to die,
Hanging by your braces with your feet up in the sky
Glory glory, what a helluva way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more.
He landed on the runway like a lump of strawberry
jam,
He landed on the runway like a lump of strawberry jam,
He landed on the runway like a lump of strawberry jam ,
And he ain't gonna jump no more....
Chorus : Glory, glory what a helluva* way
to die,
Hanging by your knickers from an airplane in the sky
Glory glory, what a helluva way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more.
They scraped him off the tarmac with a knife and fork and spoon,
They scraped him off the tarmac with a knife and fork and spoon,
They scraped him off the tarmac with a knife and fork and spoon,
And he ain't gonna jump no more....
Chorus : Glory, glory what a helluva* way
to die,
Swinging like a giant kite across the bright blue sky
Glory glory, what a helluva way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more.
They put him in an envelope and sent him home to Mum
They put him in an envelope and sent him home to Mum
They put him in an envelope and sent him home to Mum
And he ain't gonna jump no more....
Chorus : Glory, glory what a helluva* way
to die,
Dangling by your laces while your boots are way up high
Glory glory, what a helluva way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more.
She put him on the mantelpiece for all the world to see
She put him on the mantelpiece for all the world to see
She put him on the mantelpiece for all the world to see
And he ain't gonna jump no more....
Chorus : Glory, glory what a helluva* way
to die,
With your kneecap up your nostril and your finger in your eye
Glory glory, what a helluva way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more.
She served him up with crumpets when the Vicar came to tea
She served him up with crumpets when the Vicar came to tea
She served him up with crumpets when the Vicar came to tea
And he ain't gonna jump no more....
Chorus : Glory, glory what a helluva* way
to die,
Glory glory, what a helluva way to die
Glory glory, what a helluva way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more.
*If your sensibilities are offended by "helluva" you
may substitute
"horrible," "terrible" or "heck of a,"
all of which also scan.
** The order in which the variations of the chorus are sung doesn't
matter -
you can even choose a favourite one and sing the same chorus each
time.
