Ice Cream in the Van

Sung to the tune of “Turkey in the Straw”

It’s been some years now, but there was a guy who drove on Progreso selling ice cream in van all summer, playing the worst, tinniest electronic version of “Turkey in the Straw” you can imagine. We would hear this several times every day, and I finally succumbed to writing some new lyrics for it. I found that having these in my head made it less painful. (My apologies if you now hear this tune in your head the rest of the day, which you will.)

I was walking down the Calle on a summer afternoon
When from over by the playa I could hear this tune
Even though the sound was tinny it was one I recognized
Then I saw him coming down the street–
The Ice Cream Guy!

Chorus:
Listening to that tune, every single day,
Driving us all crazy, in its tinny way
But it makes us feel like kids again, so we just have to say,
THANKS for Turkey in the Straw,
And Turkey in the Hay!

So we went down to Flamingos right there on the Malecon
We got 2 for 1 mojitos ‘cuz they had a sale on
We had lots of great botanas and some garlic cameron
Then we wandered down the playa till we heard that song!

(Chorus)

Well, we found him by the Oxxo and we gathered round the van
And we all called out our orders to the ice cream man
He had coconut and mango and some great papaya too
And he said come back tomorrow–he’d have something new!

(Chorus)