Frank Skinner – Osama Bin Laden
October 12, 2008
Frank Skinner – Osama Bin Laden (Chords)(PDF)
This will probably be another post entirely lost on my friends across the ocean, unfortunately. It’s a comedian you’ve never heard of at the Secret Policeman’s Ball doing a pastiche of someone who was never famous over there packed with references you won’t get (and even if I explained Michael Barrymore to you, you wouldn’t believe me). So apologies for that. You might want to busy yourselves with this clip of Kristen ‘Ukulele Sweetheart/Mel’ Schaal from the same event.
For the rest of you, it’s a dead easy song to play. Only three chords: F, C7 and Bb and that’s it.
Help Amnesty International.
hahah – fantastic
I saw that on the telly the other night!
I guess you could consider me a friend (best friend, maybe?) from across the ocean, and maybe I missed something bigger, but that was hilarious.
zym: On the subject of unexpected telly ukes, Jem Cooke turned up strumming her uke on that Blue Peter thing last night. Turns out she’s the reason Janet Ellis got on Blue Peter. For which every young boy of the time owes her a debt of gratitude.
alex: Glad you enjoyed it.
I have to agree with my yank friend, Alex. I thought it was hilarious. I knew who Osama Bin Laden and Macy Gray were. That’s about all you need. I’m sure it might be funnier on “other levels”, but it works just fine down here in the lowly states.
In fact, I’m sorry but, seriously, what references was this video “packed with” that your “friends across the ocean” couldn’t get? Do we not have DVDs over here? Or perhaps we don’t watch the news and see the videos of Osama Bin Laden in a cave? True we don’t know the original song, but how hard could it be to find a youtube clip of it, to, you know, share instead of condescend? And does not the song stand-up on it’s own? And as far as the Michael Barrymore reference, all you had to do was give us a link to wikipedia. It’s not like we don’t understand celebrity scandals of the murderous kind. I mean hell, we have O.J. Simpson.
Oh sorry, that reference may be “entirely lost” on you.
Jennifer: Apologies accepted.
What a funny little song! I see ol’ Frankie has been studying the Formby singing style of late.
The references that a non-uk resident might not get are the ice cream van, barrymore and strictly no dancing, maybe not packed but I’d say there’s a fair few of them in there!
John: And the whole thing is a reference to the Formby Hitler songs. I think he’s making an interesting point with that. There are so few humorous songs or political songs – never mind both combined.
Could you point me in the direction of Formby’s Hitler songs? I’ve not heard them, and you can chalk that one up as a reference that I didn’t get.
Imagine Me On The Maginot Line. Not the most biting satire, it has to be said. I think Frank was mainly influenced by the Dad’s Army theme tune.
George Formby punches HItler in the face in ‘Let George do it’
Something funny on a Monday morning! That doesn’t happen often.
Andy: I’ve never seen a Formby film. But I’d watch it if he punched the real Hitler in the face.
Emma: Glad you got a grin out of it. I’m sooo glad I don’t have that Monday morning feeling any more.
I saw it on the tv and the repeat, loved it. The Barrymore line had me in stitches.
mute: Definitely the best line.
I have it on good authority that Frank learnt the uke at one of the UOGB’s workshops.
[...] seem to be a few British comedians playing the ukulele: Phill Jupitus, Frank Skinner, Lee Evans, Michael Legge (more on that below) and Russell Brand. Some of them are more competently [...]