Een geweldig nummer uit mijn jeugd is Old King Cole gezongen door de Amerikaanse zanger & acteur Harry Belafonte (1927-2023) tijdens zijn tweede concert in Carnegie Hall in 1960. Hier zingt hij het tijdens een optreden bij de BBC een jaar eerder. Old King Cole is een Britse nursery rhyme uit de 18e eeuw.

De lp waar dat nummer op stond was heel belangrijk in mijn leven en werd bij ons thuis grijsgedraaid. Ik herinner me de muziek nog heel goed en kan die ook nog steeds goed mee zingen, ook al klopt mijn Engels van geen kanten. Ik vulde sommige woorden als kind in, door de klanken na te doen. En pas nu heb ik een idee van wat ik toen eigenlijk zong. Dat had ik toen ook met de nummers van The Beatles.

Er zijn twee dubbelalbums van de concerten van Belafonte in Carnegie Hall. Op het eerste album Live From Carnegie Hall uit 1959 staan nummers als Cucurucucu, Jamaica Farewell, Come Back Lisa, Have Nageela & Matilda. En op het tweede album Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall (met Odetta & the Chad Mitchell Trio) uit 1960, staan nummers als A Hole In The Bucket (met Odetta), Jump Down Spin Around, Hene Ma Tov en dus ook Old King Cole. Allemaal nummers die ik bij me draag.

Old King Cole
Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
and a merry old soul was he.
Called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his privates three.

“Beer, beer, beer”, said the privates.
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair, as can compare,
with the Fighting Infantry.”

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
and a merry old soul was he.
Called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his corporals three.

“Hup two, hup two, hup two”, said the corporals.
“Beer, beer, beer”, said the privates.
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair, as can compare,
with the Fighting Infantry.”

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
and a merry old soul was he.
Called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his sergeants three.

“Yeahhhhh”, said the sergeants.
“Hup two”, said the corporals.
“Beer, beer, beer”, said the privates.
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair, as can compare,
with the Fighting Infantry.”

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
and a merry old soul was he.
Called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl.
And he called for his supplements three.

“We do all the work”, said the supplements.
“Yeahhhh”, said the sergeants.
“March you dump watch”, said the corporals.
“Beer, beer, beer”, said the privates.
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare,
with the Fighting Infantry.”

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
and a merry old soul was he.
Called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his captains three.

“Oh don’t be late for the dance”, said the captains.
“We do all the work”, said the shavetails.
“Yeahhhhh”, said the sergeants.
“March to the guardhouse”, said the corporals.
“Beer, beer, beer”, said the privates.
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare,
with the Fighting Infantry.”

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
and a merry old soul was he.
Called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his chaplains three.

“Oh what a bloody mess”.
“Amen, amen, hallelujah.”
“Oh don’t be late for the dance”, said the captains.
“We do all the work”, said the shavetails.
“Yeahhhh”, said the sergeants.
“Put it in a bucket”, said the corporals.
“Beer, beer, beer”, said the privates.
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare,
with the Fighting Infantry.”

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
and a merry old soul was he.
Called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his colonels three.

“Oh what a lovely war”, said the colonels.
‘Oh what a bloody mess”.
“Amen, amen hallelujah”.
“Oh don’t be late for the dance”, said the captains.
“We do al the work”, said the shavetails.
“Yeahhhhh”, said the sergeants.
“March to the end”, said the corporals.
“Beer, beer, beer”, said the privates.
“Merry men are we,
there’s none so fair as can compare,
with the Fighting Infantry.”

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
aand a merry old soul was he.
Called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his generals three.

Thuh, thuh.
Oh come on fellahs, give a fellah break.
“Uh what’s my next command”, said the generals.
“Oh what a lovely war”, said the colonels.
“Oh what a bloody mess, amen.”
“Oh what a bloody mess”, said the captains.
“Oh what a bloody mess”, said the shavetails.
“Oh what a bloody mess”, said the sergeants.
“Oh what a bloody mess”, said the sergeants.
“Beer, beer, beer”, said the privates.
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare,
with the Fighting Infantry.”