The Gnu by Flanders & Swann

Album: Hat Trick (1964)

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Songs about driving are not uncommon, nor are songs about animals, but a song about an animal inspired by a parked car, and one that changed the English language into the bargain must be unique. In his memoirs Swann's Way, Donald Swann explained how the duo came to write "The Gnu."

During the Second World War, Michael Flanders contracted polio while serving in the Royal Navy, and was left severely disabled. Kensington Borough Council obligingly dug out a section of the pavement and curb outside his flat so that he could maneuver his wheelchair freely back and forth from his car, but somebody less considerate would regularly steal his parking space, which obviously caused him great inconvenience and annoyance. The offending vehicle's license plate began with the letters GNU, and later on a visit to the zoo, Flanders noticed a gnu staring at him intensely. The word Gnu was pronounced New, with a silent G, but in the song, which the beast narrates, it becomes a G-nu. Swann said "I believe Michael changed the language because so many people think it is 'G-nu.'" >>>
Suggestion credit:
Alexander Baron - London, England

Comments: 1

Jeff Christiansen from Satellite Beach, FloridaComic book writer John Byrne likes to use the license plate GNU 556 in various vehicles (including a zeppelin) in different stories. According to him, it's a tribute to a song by British musical comedy duo Flanders and Swann. Presumably it relates to this song...

From Byrne's FAQ: JB: When I was a lad I was introduced to the comedy stylings of musical team Flanders & Swann. One of their pieces was about a Gnu (the animal), and in setting up the song, Michael Flanders told the story of how he was inspired to write it by the licence plate number of a car that was park for some prolonged period in front of his flat. That number installed itself in my memory as GNU556, tho on several different recordings Flanders varied the number slightly. The CD version I purchased in England a few years back, for instance, has the number as 596GNU. Anyway, Flanders and Swann are both dead now, and have been for quite some time, but GNU556 is my little tribute to them.

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