The Washington Post obit is here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/oscar-brand-folk-troubadour-and-radio-host-for-seven-decades-dies-at-96/2016/10/01/cd5a6100-87cf-11e6-a3ef-f35afb41797f_story.html?postshare=8961475329124856&tid=ss_tw
I checked his Wikipedia page a month or so ago to see if he was still alive. My dad had Wild Blue Yonder, and I inherited the album from him. I bought the CD so I could have it on my iPod. Prior to that, I made a cassette tape from the vinyl. His songs often pop up on my iPod. In addition to the Air Force-oriented Wild Blue Yonder, he also had Navy, Army, and Marine Corps-themed albums. With my aviation background, I still enjoy Wild Blue Yonder the most.
There are a couple of things that bug me on that album. In The Wreck Of The Old 97 there’s a math error. ‘The first 46 are reserved for the majors, the captains have the next 49. There’s only one other ship at the end of the apron. Said the shavetail, “Then that one is mine.”’ That’s only 96. In I Wanted Wings he sings, ‘I’d rather be a terrier, than a flyer on a carrier, with my hand around a bottle. You can keep your god-damned throttle, buster.’ This lyric doesn’t make sense, and I think he should have used the original lyrics ‘I’d rather be a bellhop, than a flyer on a flat-top, with my hand around a bottle…’
Nevertheless, Brand’s music takes me to a time before I existed, but have had an interest in all my life. For a pilot who is fond of military aviation history, Brand’s songs have brought much enjoyment. I really hoped he’d make it to 100.
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I remember him for “Bawdy Briney Ballads”.
I think the punctuation may be wrong. “I’d rather be a terrier than a flyer on a carrier. With my hand around a bottle you can keep your goddamned throttle, buster.” (I’d rather drink than fly.)
A terrier doesn’t carry a bottle, nor do they drink alcohol. A bell-hop’s job is not to carry bottles, but it’s not out of the question that one would bring a bottle of alcohol to a hotel patron. The narrator is saying he’d rather drink than fly [in a dangerous situation].
FWIW, here are the original lyrics:
Now, I’m too young to die in a god-damned PBY
That’s for the eager, not for me
I don’t trust my luck to be picked up by a Duck
After I’ve crashed into the sea
For I’d rather be a bellhop
Than a flyer on a flattop
With my hands around a bottle
Not a god-damned throttle, Buster
I wanted wings 'til I got the god-damned things
Now I don’t want them anymore
The terrier is not drinking; note that I placed a period after the phrase.
As I see it, they are two distinct rejections of flying.
ETA: In the lyrics you printed, I see 2 distinct statements as well. He doesn’t necessarily want to be a bellhop with his hands around a bottle. Each couplet is a statement in itself.
There are four lines discussing being picked up after being shot down, and there are four lines about rather drinking than flying. A terrier has nothing to do with flying. And ‘I’d rather be a bellhop with my hands around a bottle’ fits better with the sentence structure in the rest of the song than your interpretation.
We’ll have to agree to disagree.
I had BAWDY SONGS AND BACKROOM BALLADS on vinyl as a teenager. I can still sing “The Chandler’s Wife” all the way through.
“But nivver a one she give to me, she give to me instead/Just a little bit more of that (knock knock knock on your guitar) to light me way to bed.”
*"He let go the hat
but the hat did not fall…
A BLESSED MIRACLE!"*
I’ve got all those Air Force songs on a cassette out in the garage. I made it back in the early 80’s. I was surprised he was alive back then!
Damn. One of my favorite CD’s is his collection of presidential campaign songs. His offering for John Adams was set to The Star Spangled Banner, and wow, he managed to make it a catchy tune. I wish they would always play the National Anthem at that tempo.
I was also surprised that he was still alive. My Mom used to have the LP of “The Drinking Man’s Songbook” and I would listen to it as a kid.
I have welcomed the sun from a field in Saskatchewan and apparently so had he.