Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe
Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe
Quiet is the hour of even
Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe
Quiet is the hour of even
Remember, O thou man, O thou man, O thou man,
Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe
Quiet is the hour of even
Remember, O thou man, O thou man, O thou man,
SCIENCE! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe
Quiet is the hour of even
Remember, O thou man, O thou man, O thou man,
SCIENCE! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
’Twas just this time, last year, I died.
[quote=“gkster, post:2989, topic:969097, full:true”] Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe
Quiet is the hour of even
Remember, O thou man, O thou man, O thou man,
SCIENCE! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
’Twas just this time, last year, I died.
Under a spreading chestnut-tree, the village smithy stands.
Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe
Quiet is the hour of even
Remember, O thou man, O thou man, O thou man,
SCIENCE! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
’Twas just this time, last year, I died.
Under a spreading chestnut-tree, the village smithy stands.
V is very healthy—it’s true!
With vitamins and vegetables for you: Two straight lines point down And meet at the ground For vacations and violins, too!
Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe
Quiet is the hour of even
Remember, O thou man, O thou man, O thou man,
SCIENCE! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
’Twas just this time, last year, I died.
Under a spreading chestnut-tree, the village smithy stands.
V is very healthy—it’s true!
Wallowing in this bloody sty
Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe
Quiet is the hour of even
Remember, O thou man, O thou man, O thou man,
SCIENCE! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
’Twas just this time, last year, I died.
Under a spreading chestnut-tree, the village smithy stands.
V is very healthy—it’s true!
Wallowing in this bloody sty
X is for Xerxes devoured by mice
It’s from the Gashlycrumb Tinies by E. Gorey. It’s not, alas, the first line, but I haven’t found one elsewhere.
I figured as much. I remember seeing a parody of the Tinies in the National Lampoon back in its heyday – and MAD magazine did a similar parody entitled the Ghastlygun Tinies featuring schoolchildren, which becomes less and less humorous with each new incident.
Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe
Quiet is the hour of even
Remember, O thou man, O thou man, O thou man,
SCIENCE! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
’Twas just this time, last year, I died.
Under a spreading chestnut-tree, the village smithy stands.
V is very healthy—it’s true!
Wallowing in this bloody sty
X is for Xerxes devoured by mice
You never asked me what I wanted. You only asked me why.
Opening lines of odd, obscure and cryptic poems and songs
Arthur O’Bower has broken his band
BLOW out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
Carry on, my wayward son
Day after day, alone on a hill
England swings like a pendulum do
Found a cure
Growltiger was a Bravo Cat, who lived upon a barge
Hence burgundy, claret, and port
I sing the body electric
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
K-K-K-Katy! Beautiful Katy! You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore!
Look at the sneaky crocodile
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
New doth the sun appear
Off, off, said the stranger, off, off, and away,
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe
Quiet is the hour of even
Remember, O thou man, O thou man, O thou man,
SCIENCE! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
’Twas just this time, last year, I died.
Under a spreading chestnut-tree, the village smithy stands.
V is very healthy—it’s true!
Wallowing in this bloody sty
X is for Xerxes devoured by mice
You never asked me what I wanted. You only asked me why.
Zulaika was fair to see