Monty Python and philosophy
January 3rd 2007 21:42
Okay, for the record...
All of Monty Python is philosophical. But here's some particularly well-known bits...
Any pointers to further (ir)relevant Monty Python are welcome.
The galaxy song
Wikipedia entry.
This was originally from The Meaning of Life.
Just remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolving
And revolving at nine hundred miles an hour,
That's orbiting at nineteen miles a second, so it's reckoned,
A sun that is the source of all our power.
The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see
Are moving at a million miles a day
In an outer spiral arm, at forty thousand miles an hour,
Of the galaxy we call the Milky Way.
Our galaxy itself contains a hundred billion stars.
It's a hundred thousand light years side to side.
It bulges in the middle, sixteen thousand light years thick,
But out by us, it's just three thousand light years wide.
We're thirty thousand light years from galactic central point.
We go round every two hundred million years,
And our galaxy is only one of millions of billions
In this amazing and expanding universe.
The universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding
In all of the directions it can whizz
As fast as it can go, at the speed of light, you know,
Twelve million miles a minute, and that's the fastest speed there is.
So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure,
How amazingly unlikely is your birth,
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,
'Cos there's bugger all down here on Earth.
Bruces sketch
Wikipedia entry.
"The sketch is one of the most quoted sketches from the series, partly due to the fact it also featured regularly in the team's stage shows, where it would be capped with a performance of The Philosophers' Song. The song does not feature in the original TV version"
Bruces song/Bruces's philosophers song/The philosophers' drinking song
Wikipedia entry.
"Although the Bruces sketch previously appeared in the TV show Monty Python's Flying Circus, the song itself was original to the stage show."
Immanuel Kant was a real pissant
who was very rarely stable.
Heidegger, Heidegger was a boozy beggar
who could think you under the table.
David Hume could out consume
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel,
And Wittgenstein was a beery swine
who was just as sloshed as Schlegel.
There's nothing Nietzsche couldn't teach ya
'bout the raisin' of the wrist.
Socrates himself was permanently pissed.
John Stuart Mill, of his own free will,
after half a pint of shandy was particularly ill.
Plato, they say, could stick it away,
'alf a crate of whiskey every day!
Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle,
and Hobbes was fond of his dram.
And Rene Descartes was a drunken fart:
"I drink, therefore I am."
Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker, but a bugger when he's pissed.
The philosophers' football match/Internationale philosophie
Wikipedia entry.
"a comedy sketch on Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus and later a part of Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl"
All of Monty Python is philosophical. But here's some particularly well-known bits...
Any pointers to further (ir)relevant Monty Python are welcome.
***
The galaxy song
Wikipedia entry.
This was originally from The Meaning of Life.
Just remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolving
And revolving at nine hundred miles an hour,
That's orbiting at nineteen miles a second, so it's reckoned,
A sun that is the source of all our power.
The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see
Are moving at a million miles a day
In an outer spiral arm, at forty thousand miles an hour,
Of the galaxy we call the Milky Way.
Our galaxy itself contains a hundred billion stars.
It's a hundred thousand light years side to side.
It bulges in the middle, sixteen thousand light years thick,
But out by us, it's just three thousand light years wide.
We're thirty thousand light years from galactic central point.
We go round every two hundred million years,
And our galaxy is only one of millions of billions
In this amazing and expanding universe.
The universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding
In all of the directions it can whizz
As fast as it can go, at the speed of light, you know,
Twelve million miles a minute, and that's the fastest speed there is.
So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure,
How amazingly unlikely is your birth,
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,
'Cos there's bugger all down here on Earth.
***
Bruces sketch
Wikipedia entry.
"The sketch is one of the most quoted sketches from the series, partly due to the fact it also featured regularly in the team's stage shows, where it would be capped with a performance of The Philosophers' Song. The song does not feature in the original TV version"
***
Bruces song/Bruces's philosophers song/The philosophers' drinking song
Wikipedia entry.
"Although the Bruces sketch previously appeared in the TV show Monty Python's Flying Circus, the song itself was original to the stage show."
Immanuel Kant was a real pissant
who was very rarely stable.
Heidegger, Heidegger was a boozy beggar
who could think you under the table.
David Hume could out consume
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel,
And Wittgenstein was a beery swine
who was just as sloshed as Schlegel.
There's nothing Nietzsche couldn't teach ya
'bout the raisin' of the wrist.
Socrates himself was permanently pissed.
John Stuart Mill, of his own free will,
after half a pint of shandy was particularly ill.
Plato, they say, could stick it away,
'alf a crate of whiskey every day!
Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle,
and Hobbes was fond of his dram.
And Rene Descartes was a drunken fart:
"I drink, therefore I am."
Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker, but a bugger when he's pissed.
***
The philosophers' football match/Internationale philosophie
Wikipedia entry.
"a comedy sketch on Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus and later a part of Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl"
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Comment by Oblivion
Their three movies which have great scenes within themselves. Although I like the Galaxy song alot, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" takes the cake.
(*Note*: By the way, if my comment earlier was a bit...sparatic and nonsensical... I'm sorry. I get a little carried away sometimes... I'm a big Monty Python fan and I am surround by people here where I'm at... that do not appreciate nor understand what it means. They most likely consider it old and outdated. Something which that was popular back in the 'distant' past and does not have any fleeting connection with any part of them here in the present)
Thank you for your comments earlier about my blog.
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
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Fat Cult
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Comment by Jimbo
Oh, and nothing beats the Lumberjack song.
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
On a side note, at work one day, one of the guys mentioned Monty Python and one of the young admin girls asked "Who's he?"
Blasphemy!!!
Comment by MelissaA
Fun Facts
Blaphemy is correct!!!
Great post Adrian. : )
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
cheers Adrian!
Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Worth it just for the Galaxy Song which is still an all time fave.....Pinky and The Brain did a fabulous salute to it when Brain sings the anatomy of the mind.
Alabatross for sale, Monty Python is timeless
Comment by Descarteshorsesass
Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
Don't know why, but I feel like bursting into song.
This might be as tasteful as a line of dancing Hitlers, but anyway...
I'm a terrorist, I'm all right.
I work all day and I sleep all night.
He's a terrorist he's all right.
He works all day and he sleeps all night.
I blow up Yanks, I eat my lunch,
I go to the lavatory.
On Wednesdays I go shoppin'
and have buttered scones for tea.
He blows up Yanks, he eats his lunch,
He goes to the lavatory.
On Wednesdays he goes shoppin'
and has buttered scones for tea.
I blow up Yanks, I wear high heels,
Suspenders and a bra!
I wish I'd been a girlie,
just like my dear papa!
He blows up Yanks, he wears... high heels?
Suspenders... and a bra?!
Wants to be a girlie?!
...Poofter! Bloody poofter!
Pinko commie fairy faggot...