Monday, August 3, 2020

Thurston Owl the Third

Thurston Owl the Third / oil on black canvas / 5x7 / $68 includes shipping!



YES, MY CULTURAL LEXICON includes "Gilligan's Island"! In fact, though I can barely remember what I did yesterday, or what I am supposed to do tomorrow, I can sing you the entire theme song of "Gilligan's Island." 

I would also more or less brag that I could tell you stories of the episodes, but first off, that would be a lie, and second, it would be more or less meaningless, since, as far as I recall, each episode went pretty much this way: One of the marooned people figures out a way to get off the island, Gilligan flubs up the plan, and they remain marooned. 

I've heard people my age (and even myself!) look at the current youth culture and rue the fact that today's teens and 20-somethings will one day run the world. I can bet that my parents looked at my brother and me being entranced with "Gilligan's Island" and had similar misgivings. 

***
For Today

The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship. 

The mate was a mighty sailor man
The skipper brave and sure
Five passengers set sail that day
On a three-hour tour
A three-hour tour

The weather started getting rough
The tiny ship was tossed
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The Minnow would be lost
The Minnow would be lost

The ship set ground on the shore of this
Uncharted desert isle
With Gilligan, the Skipper, too
The millionaire, and his wife
A movie star,
The professor and Mary Ann
Here on Gilligan's Isle

That's all I remember! Or at least, that's all I thought I remembered, but "no phone, no lights, no motor car/Not a single luxury" did resonate. So the same tune recurred with new words on the closing credits. Here's how that part goes: 

Now, this is a tale of our castaways
They're here for a long, long time
They'll have to make the best of things
It's an uphill climb

The first mate and his Skipper, too
Will do their very best
To make the others comfortable
In their tropic island nest

No phone, no lights, no motor car
Not a single luxury,
Like Robinson Crusoe
It's primitive as can be

So join us here each week my friends,
You're sure to get a smile
From seven stranded castaways
Here on Gilligan's Isle! 

 - written by Sherwood Schwartz and George Wyle






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