# "India!  Oh, Calcutta!"  (Lyrics help needed)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-oh-calcutta-lyrics-help-needed/168948>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 15, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-oh-calcutta-lyrics-help-needed/168948 "2003-04-15T21:34:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-oh-calcutta-lyrics-help-needed/168948/1 "2003-04-15T21:34:04Z")

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I was thinking of an old song they used to play on the Dr. Demento Show. I think it was by Martin Mull, but I’m not sure. I’m having trouble remembering some lyrics:

In the first verse: “India’s so very hot, as hot as **[molten?]** fire! / As hot as the sun that never sets on the British Empire.”

In the second verse: “Like the **[pungee?]** with his hashish you can fill your head with smoke / Me, I’ll sit on the veranda with my coke.”

And in the third verse: “The half-castes and the Brahmins, they say are mighty low / You can conquer the **[Dravidians?]** to and fro”

I’m not having any luck finding the lyrics online. Does anyone know what the bracketed words are supposed to be?

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**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-oh-calcutta-lyrics-help-needed/168948/2 "2003-04-16T03:23:09Z")

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[Magic 8 Ball]

Ask again later

[/Magic 8 Ball]

I hate to see a good Q go to waste just because I have no answer…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/india-oh-calcutta-lyrics-help-needed/168948/3 "2003-04-18T17:33:34Z")

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Is it later yet? 😃

_India! O Calcutta!  
Kama Sutra, Ghandi and the rest  
India! England’s bread and butter  
Of all the English colonies you’re the best!_