"I live with fear and terror but sometimes I leave her and go skydiving."

Divers of the Sky

by Hank McCarrick
to the tune "Auld Lang Syne" 

The plane is here; the time is near
We'll soon be climbing high
Then jump we must, come hell or bust
We're divers of the sky. 

May all go well; our fall will tell
The chutes should open fine
If one be done, t'was worth the fun
For Auld Lang Syne. 

As years are gone we'll carry on
Til time to turn to dust
Though weak and maimed, we can't be blamed
For jump by surely we mus. 

So toast we may though old and gray
Our glasses raised on high
We'll take a sip for all the rip cord
Divers of the sky. 

Blood on the Risers

by Little David
to the tune of "Battle Hymn of the Republic"

First jumper on the wingstrut called the spotter as he looked
Our hero now was fearless for he'd read Russ Gunby's book
He jumped right out into the blast, his static line unhooked
He ain't going to jump no more.

Chorus: 
     Gory, Gory, what a helluva way to die,
     Gory, gory, what a helluva way to die
     Gory, gory what a helluva way to die
     He ain't going to jump no more.

He counted long, he counted loud, six thousand was his goal
He tumbled out of stable and began a forward roll
He spun out flat, began to dive and went out of control
He ain't gonna jump no more.

Chorus (above)

The risers wrapped around his neck, connectors cracked his dome
The lines were snarled and tied in knots around his skinny bones
The canopy became his shroud, he hurtled to the ground
He ain't gonna jump no more.

Chorus (above)

He pulled the handle on his reserve and threw it far away
He tried to grab the skirt, but all his thumbs got in the way
He threw it out all full of holes and then began to pray
He ain't gonna jump no more.

Chorus (above)

The days he'd lived and loved and laughed kept running through his mind
He thought about the girl below, the one he'd left behind
He thought about the medico's and wondered what they'd find
He ain't gonna jump no more.

Chorus (above)

The ambulance was on the spot, its mighty siren wailed
The medics rolled their sleeves and smiled as through the air he sailed
For it had been a week or more since last a chute had failed
He ain't gonna jump no more.

Chorus (above)

The drop zone coming fast, a hundred miles or more
"I get his helmet and his boots," he heard a buddy roar
He bounced around the runway in the welter of his gore
He ain't gonna jump no more.

Chorus (above)

His pelvis crashed into his chest, his ribs poked through his side
His helmet bounced a hundred feet, his head was still inside
The ground crew stood there laughing as he rolled around and died
He ain't gonna jump no more.

Chorus (above) 

"There was blood up in the risers
There were brains up in the chute
Intestines were a dangling from his paratrooper's boots.
They picked him up, still in chute, but he poured right to the floor
He ain't gonna jump no more!"

Chorus (above) 

Ghost Jumper in the Sky

by Rigger Mortis
to the tune of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" 

An old Skydiver went flying out one dark and windy day
Upon the strut he waited as he flew along his way.
When over top the exit point he pushed off hard and strong.
And as he plunged on through the sky, he sang this happy song. 

     Yippee-I-Oh, look out below.
     Skydiver on a delay.

Five thousand feet on down he fell his arms and legs outspread.
His back was arched and as he fell the wind roared past his head.
When at two thousand feet he frogged and came in for the string.
He groped along the harness fast and then began to sing. 

     Yippee-I-Oh Where did it go? 
     My ripcord can't be found.

On down he fell the Earth grew large. His time was running out.
He came in fast for his reserve and gave a dismal shout.
The Sunday papers fluttered by and through his fevered brain
Ran the awful certainty his hopes were down the drain. 

     Yippee-I-Yah, at least let them say, 
     Stable all the way.

Now when the days are dark and cold, the sky is black with clouds.
You'll see that lonely jumper fall struggling with his shrouds.
He falls through space eternally to make this message clear.
No matter how stable you are, your life hangs with your gear. 

     Yippee-I-Oh, when he says go, 
     Think of the gear you wear.

Red Roses for a Flat Lady

by "Anonymous"
to the tune of "Red Roses for a Blue Lady"

Wrap up some red roses for a flat lady
Send them to the valley of the moon
She had a slight malfunction the other day
I hope the medics washed the blood and guts away
I want some red roses for a flat lady
Send them to the crematorium
'Cause she forgot to tug on that old crossbow plug
How come broads get to be so damned dumb? 

My Last Jump

to the tune of "Please Help Me I'm Falling" 

Please help me I'm falling
I'm out of control
Left the plane at 10,000
And started to roll.

I tried to get stable
By arching my back
I arched so hard
I passed my back pack.

Oh I clawed and the rip cord
Blind as a bat
Got ahold of the harness
Started jerking on that.

Then I grabbed for my chest pack
With my left hand
Please help me I'm falling
Into the sand.

I just passed 200
Hurtling down 
The ants look like people
Here comes the ground.

I hollered "Take pictures" 
As I augered on in 
There be no more fallin'
For this is the end. 

On Top of Old _______

to the tune of "On Top of Old Smokey"

On top of Ol' __________  (insert drop zone)
Way up off the floor
I lost my best lockup
He rolled out the door

Ass over teakettle
Tumble and flail
No lockup on this dive
But maybe a tail

He threw through his armpit
Cracked meaner than sin
A pilot would hav'ta track down
To get to that pin

Hey!  He's flying to the diamond
But he's facing away...
The asshole's on backwards
Break it down, get away

He flew to the DZ
Never cut it away
His landing was ugly
I hope he's OK

Way up over Perris (insert drop zone)
Way up off the floor
I lost my best lockup
He rolled out the door

Wrapped in the Middle

to the tune of "Stuck in the Middle With You"
originally written by Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty
originally performed by Stealers Wheel circa 1974
reworked by Trevor G. Fitzpatrick, 1995

WELL I KNOW JUST WHY I CAME HERE TONITE
NEED THAT DIAMOND GOTTA GET IT RIGHT.
OVER THERE I SEE THE BASE PIN
WHEN THEY GET THE WEDGE I'M COMIN' IN.
NYLON TO THE LEFT OF ME, NYLON TO THE RIGHT
HERE I AM - WRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU
HERE I AM - WRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU

NOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA DO
I'M IN QUICKLY SPINNING MAL WITH YOU.
SHOULD WE RIDE IT SHOULD WE CUT IT AWAY?
WE'RE AT TEN GRAND AND IT'S HARD TO SAY.
JACK KNIFE IN MY LEFT HAND, ZAK KNIFE IN MY RIGHT
HERE I AM - WRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU
HERE I AM - WRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU

HARD OPEN'S WHAT WE'RE GETTING
SO WE STAY ON AIRPLANE HEADING YEAH.  (do do do do....da-do do do do.....)
NASSERED HARD INTO THE SLOT
NOW JUST LOOK AT WHAT WE GOT.
we said We ee ee ee eeeeee
we said We ee ee ee eeeeee

WELL IT ONLY TOOK A SECOND OR TWO
WE DECIDED WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
WE LOOKED AND THEN WE COUNTED TO THREE
CUT AWAY AND WE WERE FALLIN FREE.
ONE DUDE ON THE LEFT SIDE, ONE DUDE ON THE RIGHT
HERE I AM - DOIN' A TWO WAY WITH YOU
HERE I AM - DOIN' A TWO WAY WITH YOU

WE TURNED AND STARTED TRACKIN AT THREE
JUST HOW HARD WILL THIS OPENING BE?
PULLED THE SILVER HANDLE AND WHAM!
RESERVE CANOPY OH MAN.
RISERS ON THE LEFT OF ME, RISERS ON THE RIGHT
HERE I AM - RIDING RESERVE WITH YOU
HERE I AM - RIDING RESERVE WITH YOU

WELL WE HAD THIS BIG FORMATION
WAS THE BIGGEST IN THE NATION HUH.   (do do do do....da-do do do do.....)
WE KNEW WE'RE GONNA WRAP
WHEN IT STARTED GOIN' TO CRAP
we said Je ee ee ee eeeezzz
we said Je ee ee ee eeeezzz

NOW THAT WE'RE ADDICTED TO CREW
THERE'S ON MORE THING WE GOTTA DO.
GOTTA GET ANOTHER BASE PIN
USED THE RAVEN TWO'S AND SLAMMED THEM IN.
DACRON ON THE LEFT OF ME, DACRON ON THE RIGHT
HERE I AM - ANOTHER BI-PLANE WITH YOU
HERE I AM - ANOTHER BI-PLANE WITH YOU

THIS COOL JUMP ISN'T OVER JUST YET
THERE'S ONE MORE THING WE GOTTA GET.
TURNED IT TO THE AIRPORT TO SEE
IF WE COULD HIT THAT PIT OF PEAS.
HONKED IT TO THE LEFT, THEN HONKED IT TO THE RIGHT
HERE I AM - DEAD CENTRE LANDING WITH YOU
HERE I AM - DEAD CENTRE LANDING WITH YOU

CAN'T FIND OUR FREEBAGS CUZ WE CUT 'EM FREE
BUT OUR BUDDIES FOUND THEM STUCK IN THE TREES.
GOT OUR RIGGER AND WE PACKED UP AGAIN
GEARED UP AND THEN WE JUMPED IN THE PLANE.
WING SPAN ON THE LEFT OF ME, WING SPAN ON THE RIGHT
HERE I AM STUCK IN THE OTTER WITH YOU
HERE I AM WRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU
HERE I AM DOIN' A TWO WAY WITH YO
HERE I AM RIDING RESERVE WITH YOU
HERE I AM DEAD CENTRE LANDING WITH YOU
HERE I AM STUCK IN THE OTTER WITH YOU........

• Drop in on Parachute Songbook - Vol. 2

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