It’s like something out of a Murray Head song, isn’t it?
“One Night in Bangkok” (the naval chopper pilot – not the chess player – version)
[THE AUSTRALIAN]
Bangkok, hedonistic setting
And the city don’t know what the city is getting:
The bottom of the barrel of the boatyard in a
Farce with everything but Peter Sellars!
Time flies – doesn’t seem a minute
Since the “Carry On” gang did the “Admiral” bit.
Heads up! – don’t you know that when you
Play with a ladyboy it’s no ordinary venue?
It’s Chelsea – or the Maricon – or Luzon – or –
or Nana Plaza!
[COMPANY]
One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster,
The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free.
You’ll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you’re lucky then the god’s a she!
I can feel a she-male sliding up to me…
[THE AUSTRALIAN]
Choosing a dive’s not very weighty
When you sail three sheets to the wind – right, matey?
[COMPANY]
It’s a drag, it’s a bore, it’s really such a pity
To be looking at the whore, not looking at the city.
[THE AUSTRALIAN]
Whaddya mean? Ya peer down on one polluted, stinking town –
[COMPANY]
Tea-“girls,” warm, sweet…
Some are set up in a Banyan Tree suite!
[THE AUSTRALIAN]
Get Thai’d! You’re talking to a farang
Whose evening date was in a sarang.
I get all my kicks with the distaff, riff-raff!
[COMPANY]
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble,
Not much between despair and ecstasy.
One night in Bangkok and the pilots tumble
Can’t be too careful with your company!
I can sense a temptress slinking up to me…
[THE AUSTRALIAN]
Siam’s gonna be the witness
To the ultimate goof in the intel business.
This hits me worse than would a
Cholera bug or street-gang hooda.
And thank God for modern cryptography – firewalling it –
I don’t see you guys rating
The utter SNAFU I’m perpetrating.
I’d let you watch, I would invite you
But the girl I used would not excite you!
Good thing they can’t ask for my Order of Australia Medal back –
[COMPANY]
One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free.
You’ll find iPods from every back-street fencer,
Passport and other stuff that came from me…
I can feel a grifter sidling up to me!
One night’s blackout breaks Lieutenant Colonels,
Not much between despair and ecstasy.
One night in Bangkok will likely earn all o’ yers
Some lectures and tighter security.
I can sense our SEATO allies mocking me.