A Horrible Machine

Check out my essay on the classic scout song “Dunderbeck” in the latest issue (no. 6) of the always gnaw-worthy Meatpaper, the impeccably designed journal of carnivorous culture. The piece is not available online, but these are the lyrics of the song:

Once there was a jolly man, his name was Dunderbeck. He was very fond of sausage meat, and sauerkraut and spec. He owned a great big butcher store, the finest ever seen, and he took out a patent on a sausage meat machine. [chorus] Oh Dunderbeck, Oh Dunderbeck, how could you be so mean? Ever to have invented such a wonderful machine? For kitten cats and water-rats will never more be seen, ll all be turned to sausage meat in s machine. One day there was a little boy came walking in the store, to buy a pound of sausage meat and eggs a half a score. And while he was awaiting he whistled up a tune, and the sausages they all got up and danced around the room. [Chorus] One night there was a problem, the machine it would not go. So Dunderbeck he climbed inside, the reason for to know. His wife she had a nightmare, and she came down in her sleep. She gave the crank a terrible yank, and Dunderbeck was meat. [Chorus]