A Song at Thirty Paces.

With both candidates in the American election currently working frantically to snatch a narrow lead in the race, it occurred to me that one of my favourite songs from childhood holds an uncanny resonance with the contest and might be used as a battle hymn:

Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk

And said goodbye to the circus

Off she went with a trumpety trump

Trump! Trump! Trump!

Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk

And trundled back to the jungle

Off she went with a trumpety trump

Trump! Trump! Trump!

Chorus:

The head of the herd was calling

Far far away

They met one night

In the pale moonlight

On the road to Mandalay

It has such an innocently childlike quality about it, and therefore perfectly counterpoints the bombastically childish nature of the whole affair. The only thing I can’t decide is which of the combatants should use it as propaganda.