The story behind the song
One Foot In The Grave, The Other Foot On A Banana Peel
Lyrics
Kourou dawn, rotor turning slow,
Rain forest waking in the green below,
Alpha One calling through the morning haze,
Pilot got the jungle in his blood those days.
Medicine boxes strapped in tight,
Life Flight depot by the river light,
French flag flying on a government crate,
Another small mercy running never late.
Oh, rotor beat, take me higher,
Through the rain and the green empire,
From Kourou line to Alpha One,
Under cloud and burning sun.
And if the memory starts to reel,
We laugh with one foot on a banana peel.
Then the radio cracked like a bone in the night,
Comrade down, losing blood in flight,
Field hospital, hear me now,
Critical state, we coming somehow.
Called ahead once, called twice again,
βKeep the lamps on, prepare your men,β
But time went soft and the world turned wide,
Rotor thunder slowed inside.
Oh, rotor beat, take me higher,
Through the rain and the green empire,
From Kourou line to Alpha One,
Under cloud and burning sun.
And if the memory starts to reel,
We laugh with one foot on a banana peel.
And suddenly Iβm small again,
Toy helicopter in my hand,
Making engine sounds alone,
Dreaming skies Iβd someday own.
But childhood plastic fades away,
To jungle rain and medevac grey,
A wounded brother, pale as clay,
And me begging dawn to hold the day.
Years roll forward, bar light low,
Same old brother with a metal below,
I look down at that machine-made stride,
He grins and says with soldier pride:
βWhy wear plastic, fake and bland?
This robot leg is honest, man.
Why pretend what all can see?
Chrome and steel looks good on me.β
Oh, rotor beat, take me higher,
Through the rain and the green empire,
From Kourou line to Alpha One,
Under cloud and burning sun.
And if the memory starts to reel,
We laugh with one foot on a banana peel.
I reach to pay, he slaps my hand,
βNo chance, pilot, understand.
You flew me once from deathβs old door,
So I buy beers forevermore.β
Then he laughs, dark and dry:
βOne foot in the grave, one foot ready to fly,
The other one slipped where the bananas peelβ
But brother, this robot foot is steel.β