‘I’LL BE HOME IN TOWNSEND’

On Monday night Governor Don Sundquist, an erstwhile Memphian, held his final Christmas party at the executive mansion in Nashville in honor of the Tennessee press corps. The reporters at one point serenaded Sundquist in song. One offering — sung to the tune of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” — was premised as advice to incoming governor Phil Bredesen.

On Monday night Governor Don Sundquist, an erstwhile Memphian, held his final Christmas party at the executive mansion in Nashville in honor of the Tennessee press corps.

The reporters at one point serenaded Sundquist in song. This — to the tune of “I’ll Be HOme for Christmas” — was one of the selections. (The premise of the song is that the outgoing gov, who is retiring with wife Martha to a mountaintop home near the East Tennessee hamlet of Townsend, is giving advice to his successor, Gov-elect Phil Bredesen.):

VERSE

I’ll be home in Townsend

You can call on me

Rub-a-dub

In our hot tub

With Martha on my knee;

VERSE

Budget time is coming

TennCare’s in a spin

Pols don’t heed

re-al-ity

And what a mess you’re in.

CHORUS

You can have John Wilder

And the right-wing freaks

I’ll be homein Townsend

Don’t you wish you were me?

VERSE

Have your fun with T_DOT

And the small schools plan

Federal Courts

And last resorts

And Gordon Bonnyman

VERSE

There can be no telling

What the years will bring

But you’ll see

Van Hilleary

Is waiting in the wings

CHORUS

I’ll be home in Townsend

You can call on me

I’ll be home in Townsend

Don’t you wish you were me?

Jackson Baker