Random Songs About Tea in the Ol' Search Engine... - 2009-06-13 17:16:41
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So every now and then I peruse the keywords folks search to get here, and for some reason Songs About Tea always seems to pop up from time to time. Since I've never gotten around to blogging about it, I figured it was about time now.

Er, this may go on and on for a bit.

First of all, for those of you searching for lyrics and trying to find out which song they're from - here's the quickest way for you to find an answer and yet avoid annoying pop up ads that seem to infest the websites that post the words to various songs. Do a Google search for lyrics [artist name here] [song name here]
and then click the link that says Cached in the results. Doesn't always work, but it's the fastest way, and the cached version will have the words you've searched for highlighted. If you want to actually hear some of these songs I'd take your searching to YouTube. I'm not going to link any of the songs on YouTube myself because many of them tend to disappear - best to do a fresh search yourself.

So, on to the songs. I'll just add a bit of the lyrics with the tea reference. Most of them I've not heard yet, though I have indeed tasted the teas referenced. In other words, I'm not going to make any musical judgments! Most links are to Wikipedia, so remember to (as always) take its info with a grain of salt (and recheck those facts).


Song: Tea For Two - from the 1925 musical No, No, Nanette with music by Vincent Youmans and lyrics by Irving Caesar. Many, many versions of this one out there.

"Picture you upon my knee
Just tea for two
And two for tea
Just me for you
And you for me alone
Nobody near us to see us or hear us,
No friends or relations
On weekend vacations,
We won't have it known, dear,
That we own a telephone, dear..."

Thanks to this nice thread on Facebook (from the group A Cup of Tea Solves Everything) I've found the following, and added the linkage...


Song: Beautiful World, Artist: Colin Hay
(From the album Going Somewhere)
"...My my my it’s a beautiful world
I like drinking Irish tea
With a little bit of lapsang souchong
I like making my own tea."


Song: Billy of Tea, Found in: The Bushwackers Australian Song Book
Edited by Jan Wositzky and Dobe Newton, 1988
[A billy is the" traditional Australian term for a lightweight cooking pot" according to Wikipedia. Also see The Bushwackers.]
"You can talk of your whiskey, talk of your beer
There's something much nicer that's waiting us here
It sits on the fire, beneath the gum tree
There's nothing much nicer than a billy of tea.

So fill up your tumblers as high as you can,
And don't you dare tell me it's not the best plan.
You can let all your beer and your spirits go free -
I'll stick to me darling old billy of tea."


Song: On & On, Artist: Erykah Badu
(From the album Baduizm)
"...I'm feelin' kind of hungry
'Cuz my high is comin' down
Don't feed me yours
'Cuz your food does not endure
I think I need a cup of tea
The world keeps burnin'
Oh what a day, what a day, what a day..."


Song: Conversation Piece, Artist: Savatage
(From the album Edge of Thorns)
"I haven't thought about you for awhile
It seemed so far away
I keep your picture hidden in a file
Of favorite one act plays
Like pieces of myself
Cut off in desperation
As offerings to thee
I keep them on a shelf
They're good for conversation
Over a cup of tea, yeah, cup of tea..."


Song: Tea in the Sahara With You, Artist: The Police
(Written by Sting, from the album Synchronicity)
[According to the Wikipedia page, the song "showed interest in the work of author Paul Bowles."]
"...The sky turned to black
Would he ever come back
They would climb a high dune
They would pray to the moon
But he'd never return
So the sisters would burn
As their eyes searched the land
With their cups still full of sand..."

Song: On Any Other Day, Artist: The Police
(Written by Stewart Copeland, From the album Reggatta De Blanc)
"...Throw down the morning papers
And spill my tea
I don't know what's wrong with me
The cups and plates are in a conspiracy
I'm covered in misery..."


Song: Streets of London, Artist: Ralph McTell
(From the album Spiral Staircase)
"...In the all night cafe
At a quarter past eleven,
Same old man is sitting there on his own
Looking at the world
Over the rim of his tea-cup,
Each tea last an hour
Then he wanders home alone ..."


Song: Jellyman Kelly, Artist: James Taylor
(From the album In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record)
"...Jenny put the kettle on, Jellyman Kelly,
Can he come home, Jenny, can he come?

...That’s the story about Jellyman Kelly - he still loves jelly!
And yes and maybe someday you and me, friend,
We can have tea with him!..."


Song: Katie's Tea, Artist: Camille
(From the album Music Hole)
[This French singer/songwriter seems to know her tea...]
"No I just can't seem to give it up
'Cause her tea runs in my veins
Won't you please pour me another cup
Only tea teases
Only tea eases my pain

Lipton, Twinings, PG Tips, Tata tea ou Tetley
Lapsang souchong, Breakfast Tea, Darjeeling ou Earl Grey

No I just can't seem to give it up
I sip it all at 5 p.m
Won't you please pour me another cup
'Til my blood turns green
Until Katie's tea turns red..."


Song: Another Pot O' Tea, Artist: Anne Murray
(From the album A Love Song)
"Put on another pot o' tea
'Cause I'm in love with the Irish accent to your story
And I need someone to help me..."


Artist: Jill Wininger
[I've tried all sorts of searches and so far can't seem to find this song or artist anywhere.]
"Plant a piano on the ends of your tendrils,
and let me play softly there,
from time to time.
Beneath the mulberry tree,
I'll be your sippin' tea,
sweetened by rendez-vous rhyme.
Just let me come up with you."


Song: Tea, Artist: Sam Brown
(From the album Stop!)
"Oh how I love my tea
Tea in the afternoon
I can't do without it
And I think I'll have
Another cup very soon..."


Song: Suzanne, Artist: Leonard Cohen
(From the album Songs of Leonard Cohen)
"Suzanne takes you down to her place newer the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that shes half crazy
But thats why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from china
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That youve always been her lover
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For youve touched her perfect body with your mind..."


Song: Flying Teapot, Artist: Gong, Invisible Opera Company of Tibet
(Written by Daevid Allen and Francis Moze, from the album Flying Teapot)
[I think Gong came first and then the Invisible Opera in 1988, but this band is new to me. I'm posting all of the lyrics as they're so delightfully odd.]

If you feel belief hi Pete
I got a story to tell you
Of a band of little green men
From a far away planet
If you want to know about love
Then ask the wee geezer
He can teach you telepathy
He can read your mind backwards
If you try to do the cat in
You can only be a loser
Paranoia never touch him
He's got ways of laughter
Baby don't you bring yourself down
Got to catch you up later
If you want to know about love
You can ask the wee geezer
He can teach you telepathy
He can read your mind backwards
If you try to do the cat in
You can only be a loser
Paranoia never touch him
He's got ways of laughter
Baby don't you bring yourself down
I'll catch you up later
Give him a bit of your love you get it back later...
Give him a bit of your love you get it back
later (repeat)

...Hear me now from the Invisible Opera Company of Tibet...

Have a cup of tea, have another one, have a cup of tea
Have a cup of tea, have another one, have a cup of tea
Have a cup of tea, have another one, have a cup of tea...

High in the sky, what do you see ?
Come down to Earth, a cup of tea
Flying saucer, flying teacup
From outer space, Flying Teapot (repeat)"

Song: Parklife, Artist: Blur
(From the album Parklife)
"...I get up when I want except on Wednesdays when I get rudely awakened by the dustmen
(Parklife)
I put my trousers on, have a cup of tea and I think about leaving the house (parklife)
I feed the pigeons I sometimes feed the sparrows too it gives me a sense of enormous well
Being (parklife)
And then I'm happy for the rest of the day safe in the knowledge there will always be a bit
Of my heart devoted to it (parklife)..."


Song: Harvard Hands, Artist: The Foxymorons
"...Baby I can end this fight,
A cup of tea will make it right
I played it on a broken string,
A note that I could never sing..."


Outside of that Facebook thread I've bumped into the following songs...

Song: Have a Cuppa Tea, Artist: The Kinks
(From the album Muswell Hillbillies)
[In case you were wondering at this point - this blog isn't named after any of these songs about cuppa's. Just thought I'd toss that in here.]

"Grannys always ravin and rantin
And shes always puffin and pantin,
And shes always screaming and shouting,
And shes always brewing up tea.
Grandpappys never late for his dinner,
Cos he loves his leg of beef
And he washes it down with a brandy,
And a fresh made cup of tea.

Chorus:
Have a cuppa tea...(etc.)

If you feel a bit under the weather,
If you feel a little bit peeved,
Take grannys stand-by potion
For any old cough or wheeze.
Its a cure for hepatitis its a cure for chronic insomnia,
Its a cure for tonsilitis and for water on the knee.

Tea in the morning, tea in the evening, tea at supper time,
You get tea when its raining, tea when its snowing.
Tea when the weathers fine,
You get tea as a mid-day stimulant
You get tea with your afternoon tea
For any old ailment or disease
For christ sake have a cuppa tea.

Whatever the situation whatever the race or creed,
Tea knows no segregation, no class nor pedigree
It knows no motivations, no sect or organisation,
It knows no one religion,
Nor political belief."

Song: Afternoon Tea, Artist: The Kinks
(From the album Something Else)
"Tea time won't be the same without my Donna
At night I lie awake and dream of Donna
I think about that small cafe
That's where we used to meet each day
And then we used to sit a while
And drink our afternoon tea

I'll take afternoon tea (afternoon tea)
If you take it with me (afternoon tea)
You take as long as you like
'Cause I like you, girl

I take sugar with tea (afternoon tea)
You take milk if you please (afternoon tea)
Like you talking to me
Because you ease my mind..."


Song: Right Said Fred (Cup of Tea), Artist: Myles Rudge, lyrics and Ted Dicks, music
[Found via Scriptuality. I've posted all the lyrics because I've seen quite a few folks are searching for this here. This was a single on the UK charts in 1962 by actor/musical comedian Bernard Cribbins. And yes, this song was the inspiration for the name of the band.]

"Right" said Fred
"Both of us together
One each end and steady as we go"
Tried to shift it
Couldn't even lift it
We was gettin' nowhere, and so
We 'ad a cup o' tea and

"Right" said Fred
"Give a shout to Charlie"
Up comes Charlie from the floor below
After strainin'
Heavin' and complainin'
We was gettin' nowhere, and so
We 'ad a cup o' tea and

Charlie had a think and he thought we ought
To take off all the 'andles
And the things what 'eld the candles
But it did no good
Well I never thought it would

"Alright" said Fred
"Have to take the feet off"
To get them feet off wouldn't take a mo
Took its feet off
Even took the seat off
Should have got us somewhere, but no!

So Fred said "Let's 'ave another cup o' tea"
And we said "Right-oh"
"Alright" said Fred
"Have to take the door off
Need more space to shift the so-and-so"

Had bad twinges
Takin' off the 'inges
And it got us nowhere, and so
We 'ad a cup o' tea and

"Right" said Fred
"Have to take the wall down
That there wall is gonna have to go"
Took the wall down
Even with it all down
We was gettin' nowhere, and so
We 'ad a cup o' tea and

Charlie had a think and he said "Look Fred
I've got a sort of feelin'
If we remove the ceilin'
With a rope or two
We could drop the blighter through"

"Alright" said Fred
Climbin' up a ladder
With his crowbar gave a mighty blow
Was he in trouble
Half a ton of rubble
Landed on the top of his dome!

So Charlie and me 'ad another cup o' tea
And then we went 'ome

(I said to Charlie, "We'll just have to leave it
Standing on the landing, that's all
Trouble with Fred is, he's too hasty
Never get nowhere if you're too hasty.")

Song: Cup of Tea Song, Artists: Judie Tzuke and Bailey Tzuke
(From the album Songs)
[Can't seem to find the lyrics anywhere online. From a youtube video I know the song mentions a cold cup of tea, but can't quite make out all the lyrics. So I'll leave this til someone links me a resource.]


Song: Anotha Cuppa Tea, Artist: Randy Edelman
This is actually on the soundtrack for 27 Dresses (the 25th song on the cd). I'm assuming these are all instrumentals. (The movie used other songs, sung by various artists, but none of them are on this soundtrack. Just an fyi, as people seem annoyed to discover this on the Amazon page.


Song: Pennyroyal Tea, Artist: Nirvana
(From the album In Utero)
"I'm on my time with everyone
I have very bad posture

Sit and drink Pennyroyal Tea
Distill the life that's inside of me
Sit and drink Pennyroyal Tea
I'm anemic royalty..."


Song: When I Take My Sugar to Tea, Author: Irving Kahal
[This has been covered by various vocalists.]
"When I take my sugar to tea,
All the boys are jealous of me,
'Cause I never take her where the gang goes,
When I take my sugar to tea.
I'm a rowdy dowdy,
That's me, she's a high hat baby, that's she,
So I never take her where the gang goes,
When I take my sugar to tea.
Every Sunday afternoon,
We forget about our cares,
Rubbing elbows at the Ritz,
With those millionaires.
When I take my sugar to tea..."



As always, let me know if I need to make corrections or add anything more!

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