Mister O'Reilly Words & Music by Steve Gillette

I'm so often reminded of how much songs are like jokes. We've talked about how important it is to present all the essential ideas in a compact and economical way, and how we may need to stack the deck to control the ways the ideas come up in order. And we need to spring the trap with the punch line at just the right moment.

It won't do to stumble, as we've so often heard inept joke-tellers say half-way through, "Oooops, I forgot to say that the farmer had a daughter!" No, we have to have our ducklings in a row and control the progression toward the punch, not necessarily a laugh, but an impact to be sure.

Think of the songs that exploit our suspense of disbelief to hit us with the moment of realization in a skillful way. In "The Long Black Veil" the singer reveals at the last moment that he could not profess his own innocence of the murder because he was in the arms of his best friend's wife. In "Hotel California" you can 'check out any time you want, but you can never leave.'

Songwriters do benefit greatly from developing a certain amount of joke-savvy, and it's not a coincidence that they appreciate humor and often tell jokes in their performances. And, once in a while a joke comes along that is just too good to let go of, even when you've told it to all your friends. This song is based on just such a joke.

I believe the original joke is from Buddy Hackett. Neil Armstrong himself gave it that attribution in an interview in November of 1995. The name that Buddy used for the joke was Mister Gorsky. He uses the term, 'oral sex' in telling the joke, where I have simply left that part of the story up to the imagination of the listener. I believe that's actually funnier.

It's hard to overstate my admiration for Neil Armstrong. When the details came out about how close he came to going beyond the point of no return with fuel, and his steadfastness in keeping his eye on making the right landing even though he waited and waited until the lander had reached a level spot beyond a crater, I think he exhibited discipline and bravery beyond anything I've ever known. He had trained for that moment tirelessly, narrowly escaping death in crashes of crafts constructed to let him practice. And, no person had ever landed on a surface with less than earth's gravity, so I give him my unqualified respect.

Having said that, it's great fun to picture him stepping off of the ladder, and allowing himself a joke that would have been in preparation for much longer than the Apollo 11 expedition. That is, if it did happen - however everybody from Snopes to the New York Times tells me it did not. The reason I use the name Mister O'Reilly is because that's the way we heard it from a friend after a concert one night in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

There's one other issue that this song affords me the chance to talk about. I often look for ways to have some new information come into a song after the first time through the chorus, so that when we get around to the chorus again, there can be a new level of meaning, possibly an 'aha' revelation. I like to think Mister O'Reilly is an example of that.

When we hear the chorus for the first time, it's a proud and patriotic declaration that we struggled and we strove to reach new heights, to 'boldly go' as they say on Star Trek. And in a burst of male pridefulness, which is essential to the subtext of the song, after all; to honor the good old American working man who provides for his family and keeps the home fires burning. It's a theme we've heard a lot. The last line follows that theme and says, we do it to celebrate the 'hopes and dreams of every man alive.'

It's nice if the chorus can stand on its own, and most often that's all that's expected. We wait for it to come around, and join in and sing along. But when we have a chance to stack the deck with some new information that can lend another level of interpretation to what the chorus already says, that can enhance the leverage of the song.

By the time we hear that chorus for the second time, we've learned about the encounter with O'Reilly where his wife not only refuses to grant his prurient wish (not really of course, really the most natural and normal expression of devotion) but she adds insult to injury by declaring not that hell would freeze over, but something even more unlikely, that the kid next door might have to walk on the moon before O'Reilly's 'hopes and dreams' and those of 'every man alive' could be realized. It leaves us to wonder how things worked out for our hero.

Steve Gillette singing "Mister O'Reilly"

Here's a video of a live performance of the song by the author:

Steve Gillette

Here are the lyrics as we sing it:

Well, I believe the greatest thing to happen in the twentieth century
Was the day that Neil Armstrong set his foot upon the moon.

He was the right man with the right stuff. He was hangin' in, he was hangin' tough
When he declared "The Eagle has landed," it was never a moment too soon.

Well he stepped right out onto the platform, he was as thrilled as he could be.
But he still had something special on his mind.
He said, "This one's for you Mister O'Reilly."
Then he said, "It's another small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

He said, "This one's for you Mister O'Reilly,
It's for the guys like you, tried and true, that we struggle and we strive.
This one's for you Mister O'Reilly,
And for the hopes and dreams of every man alive."

You see, O'Reilly was our next-door neighbor back in Wapakoneta, Ohio.
And he and his wife were taking a nap one Sunday afternoon.
I was playin' ball with my buddies, when a grounder bounced between my legs
And rolled up into the ivy underneath O'Reilly's room.

I went on up to retrieve it, and my ears could not believe it,
I heard Mrs. O'Reilly shouting like a voice from some cartoon. She said,
"You want me to do what? Hah! I'll do that
When the kid next door walks on the moon!"

So this one's for you Mister O'Reilly,
It's for the guys like you, tried and true, that we struggle and we strive.
This one's for you Mister O'Reilly, and the hopes and dreams of every man alive.