OH MORRIE THIS PARK STREET

[Click on title for the music]

(Reworded from The Mountains of Mourne)

by Joe Sinclair

 

Oh Morrie* this Park Street is a wonderful sight,

With the people all leasing

By day and by night.

They rent their containers to every strange land

For a box in the bush

Is worth two in the hand.

 

They murdered an agent last week just for fun,

But no-one has found out yet

What they have done;

For except that he's not quite so much of a bore,

He doesn't seem any

More dead than before.

 

Oh Morrie these lessors have a wonderful style;

They've either no boxes,

Or else a great pile.

They won't lease to Brisbane though they buy from Hong Kong

And they don't like the Yanks,

Though the French can't go wrong.

 

They rent a computer, it costs quite a whack,

And they got a great shock

When they opened the back.

For not a transistor or valve could be seen,

Only dear Mary Meikle**

With an adding machine.

 

*Morrie Pinto was one of the original Sea Containers' shareholders and this song was performed by Rob Ward and Andrew Lavey, representing Morrie Pinto and Joe Pinto in charge of corporate finance in New York..

** In a later performance of this number - after the departure of Mary and the appointment of Somerwill, the penultimate line was changed to "Only John Somerwill" that scanned somewhat better, but was considerably less "viewer friendly".

Subsequently a further verse was added to the original production.  I would guess this was in 1973, given the reference to building our own containers, which must refer to the acquisition of YMCL in 1974.:

 

Oh Morrie they've started with ships and with cranes;

(If the roundabout loses, the swing surely gains.)

They're even considering building their own,

The problem remaining is floating the loan.

Their ships have a warranty that's hard to beat,

They guarantee always its schedule to meet,

And if one of them suddenly develops flaws,

You'll find Tatham and Hume will be manning the oars.