Sunday, June 26, 2005

It can't be done

Locals Marc Kelly and Nick Walters at the Clifton Suspension Bridge, August 2004Lyrics to a song about the building of Clifton Suspension Bridge, from Great!, Bob Godfrey's Oscar-winning, animated musical biography of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

'It can't be done, you haven't a chance, there isn't a possible way.
The chains will bend, the girders snap, the bridge will blow away.
What's more we can't afford the price - it's rather high you see.'
And he replied, 'It's great, you fools. And I am IKB.'

'It can't be done, you haven't a chance, there isn't a possible way.'
Since he was born they've always said, 'It can't be done today.
Just wait till they invent the car or electricity.'
And he replied, 'It can be done, and it'll be done by me.'

'It can't be done, you haven't a chance, there isn't a possible way.'
That's what his nurse and his mama and teachers used to say.
'They'll never go under the Thames,' they said. He said, 'Just wait and see.
Just give me a rope and a little piece of wire and I'll do it after tea.'

The House of Lords to spoil his plans consistently tried.
They said, 'His engines will not run on gauges seven feet wide.'
When Wellington was rather old he heard of Brunel's boat.
He said, 'If you build it with iron the thing will never float.'
Brunel said, 'You're the iron duke. It's clear you're all at sea.
The ship will sail, you bet your boots, or I'm not IKB.'

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sir, you are a legend for posting this!

Little Time Wasters said...

I've been humming this all day, thank you so uch for posting the lyrics, I may get beyond the second line!