The Annual Penguin Show - Peter Straker

Friday night, everybody dresses up in black and white

Look at the crowd, no jeans allowed

A glass of wine, and everybody’s having such a good time

Or so they say, so give it away tonight, all right

The orchestra play, the penguins sway

The movement they make meant nothing at all

Once in a while, they let out a smile

In single file, they were having a ball

Forty seven penguins, all in a row

At the annual penguin show

A waiter stands, a creature of devotion to his fellow man

Shiny black hair, it’s so rude to stare

All the bands will play, they won’t reform their uniforms of yesterday

All black and white, it’s gotta be right tonight, all right

The orchestra play, the penguins sway

The movement they make meant nothing at all

Once in a while, they let out a smile

In single file, they were having a ball

Forty seven penguins, all in a row

At the annual penguin show

It wouldn’t be right tonight to meet the people from the streets and let them in

You never know just where they’ve been

You’ve really got to chose, you mustn’t lose, so don’t refuse

Your MBE and send it back and call it crap

You’ve got to be as straight as elastic, oh, oh, oh, oh

You’ve got to be as natural as plastic, hey, hey

The orchestra play, the penguins sway

The movement they make meant nothing at all

Once in a while, they let out a smile

In single file, they were having a ball

Forty seven penguins, all in a row

At the annual penguin show

A penguin going, penguins are such lovely creatures

With shiny hair, and silky features

A wobble here, minding there

They take their time, but they don’t care

But it’s so sad to fence them in

To face the public, smile and win

Once a year, please, please, let them come

To the annual penguin show

With lots of fishy things to eat

To tempt the palette

Then the feet and after lunch

A chocolate biscuit made specially for 'em, innit?

Forty seven penguins, all in a row

At the annual penguin show, no no

At the annual penguin show, one more time

At the annual penguin show

Yeah, yeah, yeah, want to bribe me with a story then…