> Steeleye Span > Songs > I Have a Wish (Barber Shop Song)

I Have a Wish (Barber Shop Song)

[Peter Knight arr. Steeleye Span]

Steeleye Span recorded I Have a Wish in Adelaide at the Royal Opera Theatre during the soundcheck for their evening performance. It was released in 1999 on the CD A Rare Collection 1972-1996 and with overdubbed applause in 1983 on the Australian-only LP On Tour.

Nigel Pegrum reports: “[This] is one of Pete’s little musical foibles. On one particular German tour, Pete and Tim Hart adapted the words of a menu in our first hotel and presented it as an old, long lost German folk song. It was tumultuously received every night!”

Lyrics

I have a wish, just a silly old wish
I have a dream, just a silly old dream
I’d like to hear a song on the Top of the Pops
A song that would remind me of the Keystone Cops
Oh, maybe something light and cheerful
To brighten up a dreary day
So give the boys in the band a very big hand
And let the music play

A folk rock punk beat boogie woogie reggae
With a barber shop harmony
A little uptown motown razamataz
Some skiddle-i-idle-doodle-dum and all that jazz
Give an one time sentiment
And an old fashioned melody
It is the music of my yesterday
So why don’t you sing along with me

Lalalalalalala …

I have a wish, just a silly old wish
I have a dream, just a silly old dream
I’d like to hear a song on my radio
A song that would remind me of the Vodeeodo
Oh, maybe something light and cheerful
To brighten up a dreary day
So give the boys in the band a very big hand
And let the music play

A folk rock punk beat …