This is a very black humored song, based on the experiences of some friends and their Search and Rescue Dogs working to find survivors after the Mexico City earthquake. The work itself is not funny of course, but deadly serious, and a number of people owe their lives to these dedicated dogs and their equally dedicated handlers. The dogs found survivors in collapsed buildings which state of the art acoustic equipment had declared to be devoid of life.
The song owes its verse form and music to another very black humored song about bullfighting, "In Old Mexico" by the gifted and famous Tom Lehrer , who is one of my heros of humor and whose songs written topically thirty years ago are still -- alas! -- most of them as timely as ever today.
 
        

WHEN IT WAS EARTHQUAKE TIME

(S.A.R. DOG MARIACHI)
(to tune of "In Old Mexico" by Tom Lehrer)


by Pam Green , © 1990


 

When it was earthquake time
In Mexico City,
Then my Search dog and I
Went on mission to Old Mexico.
Where the sights and the sounds
And the smells weren't especially pretty,
We went sniffing through the rubble
For those passed beyond all Trouble
To some distant Inferno,
In Old Mexico.

The stench of corpses was everywhere;
And the aftershocks caused us to beware !
Through buildings , half-collapsed and shaking,
We searched untill our backs and souls were aching.

The Mexicans were kind and brave,
And grateful for the few that we could save :
They wept and gave thanks to Virgin Mary,
Amid the corpses and dysentery.

But when it's earhquake time
Along San Andreas,
Then it's back to Old Mexico City
That I'd rather go :
Far away from the Californiaña,
The looting, and chaos,
To cadaverine inhalation,
We'd prefer a calm vacation
In some Paradisio
Like Old Mexico.
Olé !


 

 
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site author Pam Green copyright 2003
created 4/12/03 revised 6/15/03
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