A local mobile ice-cream man periodically announces his presence with a few bars of this waltz by Johann Strauss, junior, played by his van’s minimal sound system over and over again without accompaniment or musical feeling. I felt that some form of action was needed. . .
A waltz by Johann Strauss
Echoes round and round the house
As an ice-cream van blares out its tinny strain.
That tune that Johann penned
Will soon drive me round the bend.
I offer up a futile prayer for rain. . .
Wait, a cunning plan I’ve got!
I’ll assemble at the spot
An orchestra, and wait for his next call.
Then we’ll join in on the beat:
There’ll be dancing in the street,
And the neighbourhood will come and have a ball!
But we’ll play the piece right through,
Nothing less, of course, will do.
Then we’ll play all Strauss’s other pieces too.
Ice-cream will flow like honey,
And he’ll rake in so much money
He’ll retire to where the Danube is so blue.
Stop! This grand orchestral scheme
Is a fantasy, a dream!
(He’d return with ‘Greensleeves’ blaring from his van
With the melody cut short,
Expecting musical support.)
I s’pose I must accept the ice-cream man. . .