From: MegaMole
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: [I] Chuff Chuff - toot.
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 23:38:30 +0100
A filk (yes, another one) for all the trainspotters out there among you. Before some of you start complaining, I felt inspired, and was worried that it would pass.
And yes, for all the language pedants, I *know* the endings don't agree. But it's a *pun*. See?
And now, some background.
For all Merkins, the Great Western (aka God's Wonderful Railway) was a private railway company in the 1880s to 1940s whose dark green engines (such as the famous Castle and King series of 4-6-0 expresses) and chocolate and cream carriages are remembered with fondness by all who rode in or behind them. It covered much of South-Western England, Wales and the Midlands.
The Great Western lives on in places like the Severn Valley Railway and Didcot Steam Centre; the new private railway company operating out of Paddington is called First Great Western, and its trains are green. But that is all that it has in common with the GWR of old.
The Mallard (LNER A4 No. 4468, IIRC) was the fastest ever steam locomotive. I seem to remember it topped 125 mph in a speed trial.
And, of course, the Bullet Train is the famous Japanese Shinkansen. All trainspotters, I am reliably informed, dream of riding it.
TTTO Ricardo Martin, Livin' La Vida Loca
Livin' La Vida Loco
He's into railway stations,
Steam soundtracks, model trains;
I've got a strong suspicion
There's coal dust on his brain;
He likes the warm sensation
Of a Thermos in his hand;
He's got an old addiction -
Trainspotter on demand...
He'll wear his funny parka
And go spotting in the rain,
Each moment of his crazy life
Will take away his pain,
Like a trip on Bullet Train...
Up route, signal's down,
He's living la Vida Loco...
He'll pull and shunt you round
He's living la Vida Loco
His room's Great Western green
And he breathes that Mallard smoke, oh -
He will wear you out
He's living la Vida Loco,
Living la Vida Loco...
Woke up on Kings Cross platform,
With a droning in my ears,
He was scribbling down a number,
New train must have appeared;
Read "Thomas" on its nameplate
And as I looked, that engine grinned...
Now once I got a sight of it,
My head began to spin
Like a whistle down the wind...
Up route, signal's down,
He's living la Vida Loco...
He'll pull and shunt you round,
He's living la Vida Loco
His room's Great Western green
And he breathes that Mallard smoke, oh -
He will wear you out
He's living la Vida Loco,
Living la Vida Loco...
He'll wear his funny parka
And go spotting in the rain,
Each moment of his crazy life
Will take away his pain,
Like a trip on Bullet Train...
Up route, signal's down,
He's living la Vida Loco...
He'll pull and shunt you round,
He's living la Vida Loco
His room's Great Western green
And he breathes that Mallard smoke, oh -
He will wear you out
He's living la Vida Loco,
Living la Vida Loco...
(fade out to a lonely whistle and the rumble of wheels on rails...)
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