Who fell from the floor up to the balcony and broke the front side of their back?

March 26, 2009 2:06 PM

Can anyone remember a silly "poem" that has the line: "and then they fell from the floor up to the balcony and broke the front side of their back"

When I was young, my grandfather had a number of nonsense rhymes and silly tongue-twisters. For example:

One bright day in the middle of the night
two dead boys got up to fight

back to back they faced eachother
drew their swords and shot one another

two deaf policemen heard the noise
and came and killed those two dead boys.


The poem I am asking about is, obviously, in a similar vein.

posted by mbatch to writing & language (5 answers total)

I WENT TO THE MOVIES TOMORROW

(Tune: My Bonnie)


I went to the movies tomorrow.

I took a front seat at the back

I fell from the floor to the balcony

And broke a front bone in my back


I said to the lady behind me,

“I cannot see over your hat.”

I phoned for a taxi, and walked it

And that’s why I never came back

Found here.
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:17 PM on March 26, 2009

FYI, that "two dead boys" poem is used to creep effect in ads for the new movie, "A Haunting in Connecticut."
posted by GaelFC at 2:59 PM on March 26, 2009

Since this seems to be solved, I'll just add that the OP's example poem has an extra final line:

If you don't believe my story's true
Ask the blind man -- he saw it too!
posted by Rhaomi at 3:13 PM on March 26, 2009

Ton more here, not your balcony one though.
posted by Science! at 3:43 PM on March 26, 2009

Excellent, folks. Thanks!
posted by mbatch at 5:36 PM on March 26, 2009