Every Little While (I Crash a Camel)

DESCRIPTION: "Every little while I crash a Camel, Every little while I hit a tree. I'm always stalling -- I'm always falling, Because I want to fly a posh S.E." His engine conks or catches fire. "I've always got the wind up. Every, every, every little while."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1967 (Ward-Jackson/Lucas-AirmansSongBook)
KEYWORDS: battle pilot
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Ward-Jackson/Lucas-AirmansSongBook, p. 64, "Every Little While" (1 short text, tune referenced)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Every Little While" (tune)
NOTES [135 words]: The first line of this refers to the Sopwith Camel, which was overall probably the best British fighter of World War I, but it was difficult for inexperienced pilots, being hard to handle on take-off, landings, and turns. So the description in this song fits. For more about this aircraft, see "Song of the Camel Pilot."
There have been several popular songs with the tune "Every Little While," but this appears to be a parody of the song of that title by Erbie Golden and Joseph W. Tate which Al Jolson is reported to have recorded no later than 1917. That song begins
I miss you so honey when you are away
I find myself thinking of you night and day
I'm loosing my appetite
Loosing my mind
I try to forget for a while, then I'm fine
Every little while I feel so lonely
Every little while I feel so blue.... - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: WJL064B

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