Cindy Lange-Kubick: Irish duo's 'Ode to Bo' proves popular
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The 2007 football season was such a downer.
And the Wee Brazen Hussies — like most everyone else in the state — were ready for change.
And the local Irish duo was more than a wee bit relieved — like most everyone else in the state — that the change’s name was Bo Pelini.
“I always liked the guy,” said Barb Biffle, the half of the Hussies who plays guitar, sings lead and loves the Huskers best.
“I was happy to hear he was coming back.”
Biffle and Deb Davis, the half of the Hussies who prefers hockey, have played Irish music together for five years.
Every year they look for appropriate holiday gig material.
Last Christmas, Barb decided to incorporate one of her favorite Irish tunes into their repertoire.
The song was “Einini” — an Irish word pronounced A-Knee-Knee.
She began to practice singing the traditional lullaby about a little bird warbling a baby to sleep.
She came to the chorus, just that single word einini — little bird — over and over.
A-knee-knee, A-knee-knee, A-knee-knee…
Barb began to sing the melody, and then, like a perfectly timed interception, einini and sounds-like-einini became one overwhelming burst of inspiration.
“All I could hear in my mind instead of einini was Bo Pelini.”
Bo-Peli-ni, Bo-Peli-ni, Bo-Peli-ni…
The word reverberated like a student section “You Suck” chant after a bumbled third-and-long call.
Bo Pelini Bo Pelini come to save us from the chaos…
Relief from Bill Callahan Tom gave us, Tom gave us…
“The Bo thing was just coming to a head, and I’m a huge Husker fan,” Barb explained.
Which helps explain the next stanza…
Bo Pelini Bo Pelini, we love you, we adore you…
She played the tune for Deb, who liked it, and even knew who Bo Pelini was.
The Blackshirts will rise again, at least we think so, at least we hope so…
In January they debuted the song at a coffee house.
Last year is gone now, just a memory, a bitter memory…
“We played it three times,” remembered Deb, who plays harp and sings harmony. They’d play it and new people would wander in and the regulars would tell them about the song and it was “Ode to Bo” all over again.
“People just thought it was hilarious,” Deb said.
Since then they’ve played the Einini/Pelini ditty everywhere they go.
Barb starts with a guitar solo. The first nine notes of the most famous of Husker songs. (There is no place like da da da…)
And then the melody commences and the harp and some harmony, sweet voices singing hope-filled words.
Bo Pelini Bo Pelini you have saved us you have saved us…
Old ladies at nursing homes have asked for the chords and lyrics. Fans can download the tune as ringtone from the Hussies Web site. Even Barb’s barber was talking about it.
“It’s kind of taking on a life of its own,” she said.
Back in February, they entertained at the Heritage Room Spelling Bee at P.O. Pears and — naturally — played the Bo song.
It went over well and, when their set ended, a table of women called them over.
“They said ‘We’re good friends of Mrs. Pelini’s.’ And they wanted to know how they could get a copy of the song,” Barb said.
She told them.
And what did Mr. and Mrs. Pelini think?
The Hussies never heard, Barb said.
“But we haven’t been sued yet.”
Bo Pelini Bo Pelini you have saved us you have saved us…
And if we could win the Big 12 that would just be glorious…
The Wee Brazen Hussies figure interest in the song might very well peak in the next few months.
And they are ready, Barb said.
“Depending on how the season goes, we might be writing a new verse every once in a while.”
Hopefully, not one that contains the word wienie.
Reach Cindy Lange-Kubick at 473-7218 or clangekubick@journalstar.com.
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