Past masters: Roger Miller

Fifty years ago my uncle brought Roger Miller’s debut album to our house. We played it incessantly. I haven’t heard it since then. But between Syria and the Ukraine, it’s become timely all of a sudden.

Well, I read in the papers and I see it on the television
Everybody’s worried ’bout the World War III
Here I am a single boy, unemployed and everything
Somebody better stop and worry about me

Well, can’t you just see me now, chin up, chest out
A-hup two, three, four, all day through?
Everybody seems to be worried about a-somethin’ or other
Who’s gonna worry about Private John Q.?

Sometimes I get disheartened and try not to even think about it
Heaven knows it’s hard to keep from lettin’ it get me down
But I’ll stand proud when everybody else will be
Runnin’ helter-skelter for their shelter underground

Well, can’t you just see me now, chin up, chest out
A-hup two, three, four, all day through?
Everybody seems to be worried about a-somethin’ or other
Who’s gonna worry about Private John Q.?

When I was a little boy I used to sit and dream of travelin’
To lots of foreign countries on sight-seein’ tours
The way it’s lookin’ now, I can stop savin’ money
Maybe go free, sponsored by the third world war

Well, can’t you just see me now, chin up, chest out
A-hup two, three, four, all day through?
Everybody seems to be worried about a-somethin’ or other
Who’s gonna worry about Private John Q.?