Tad Tadpole
Tad Tad Tadpole, feelin’ dandy and fine
Stepped out in the morning, struttin’ his line
Short pants, fancy tie, a hat to impress
Lookin’ sharp, he was dressed to success
Oh, jump high, don’t look back
Life’s an adventure down that track
But watch your step, the night’s not long
You never know what could go wrong!
Oh, jump high, don’t look back
Life’s an adventure down that track
But watch your step, the night’s not long
You never know what could go…
Don’t go out! Mama Frog did cry
But he shrugged her off with a wink and a sigh
Out on the town, struttin’ with style
Gonna paint the pond red, go wild for a while!
Down the lane, who did he see?
A mousey friend as cheery as can be
Join me, pal, let’s go call on Ms. Mouse
There’ll be plenty of food and a party to rouse!
Jump high, don’t look back
Life’s an adventure down that track
But watch your step, the night’s not long
You never know what could go
They got to her door and knocked with flair
And asked, Ms. Mouse, you at home, somewhere?
She said, Come in, boys, you’re right on cue
I was spinnin’ my thread but I’ll welcome you!
They tipped their hats, shook hands with grace
Said Mouse, Our friend’s got heat on his face
Bring a cold beer, it’ll help him relax
And let’s get the music rollin’ on wax!
Oh, jump high, don’t look back
Life’s an adventure down that track
But watch your step, the night’s not long
You never know what could go wrong!
They danced, they laughed, they raised a cheer
Ms. Mouse got a guitar to bring them good cheer
Said Tadpole, I’d sing but my throat’s dry as dust
And this new suit’s tighter than I trust!
Oh loosen your tie, Ms. Mouse purred low
I’ll sing a tune that’ll steal the show
But just thenbam! The cats bust in
And that’s when the trouble was set to begin
Mama Cat snatched Mouse right by the ear
And her kittens went wild, like pirates near
Tad Tad Tadpole saw the mess unfold
Grabbed his hat and took a leap so bold
He jumped for the door, waved Goodnight, my friends
And thought he’d hop until the danger ends
Oh, jump high, don’t look back
Oh, jump high, don’t look back
Life’s an adventure down that track
But watch your step, the night’s not long
But he bounced so high, he leapt so far
He lost his hat, tore his clothes bizarre
And into the beak of a duck he flew
One gulp, that duck swallowed him too!
So it ended, folks, with one, two, three
The Mouse, Ms. Mouse, then Tadpole, you see
The cats had a feast, the duck had a bite
And Mama Frog was alone that night!!
Oh, jump, don’t look back
Life’s an adventure down that track
But watch your step, the night’s not long
You never know what could go wrong!
Oh, jump high, don’t look back
Life’s an adventure down that track
But watch your step, the night’s not long
You never know what could go wrong!
“El renacuajo paseador” (or “Rín Rin renacuajo” as it’s better known) is a poem every Colombian kid of my generation grew up reciting, Rafael Pombo’s little tadpole in his wedding suit, ignoring his mother, crashing a party that ends in a cat attack, becoming a duck’s dinner, and, famously, the tadpole’s mother left as the sole survivor.
Moving Rín Rin into electroswing felt obvious the moment I considered it. Pombo’s poem practically asked for that treatment; our Rín Rin, now called Tad Tadpole, sits in film-noir surroundings, always living on the edge of tragedy. Swing, as a genre, already lives inside exactly that mismatch: the vintage joy of the jazz age wrapped around the tragedies of real life.
I left the body count intact on purpose. “So it ended, folks, with one, two, three,” without betraying the original. What I could add, working in English, was a chorus that distills the moral of our story:
“Jump high, don’t look back,
life’s an adventure down that track
But watch your step, the night’s not long
You never know what could go wrong!”
This is one of the few songs in my catalogue where the message isn’t really mine. It’s still Pombo’s, almost a century and a half later. I only tried to dress it in a new coat.
So, turn up the volume and enjoy “Tad Tadpole.”