> Peter Bellamy > Songs > Roll Down to Rio

The Beginning of the Armadillos / Roll Down to Rio

[words Rudyard Kipling, music Peter Bellamy]

This poem accompanied Rundyard Kipling's story The Beginning of the Armadillos from his book Just So Stories. Peter sang it as Roll Down to Rio, accompanying himself on concertina, on his fourth album of songs set to Kipling's poems, Keep on Kipling.

Jon Boden sang Rolling Down to Rio as the February 10, 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day.

Lyrics

I've never sailed the Amazon,
  And I've never reached Brazil;
But the Don and Magdelana,
  They can go there when they will!

Yes, weekly from Southampton,
Great steamers, white and gold,
Go rolling down to Rio
(Roll down—roll down to Rio!)
And I'd like to roll to Rio
Some day before I'm old!

I've never seen a Jaguar,
  Nor yet an Armadill
O dilloing in his armour,
  And I s'pose I never will,

Unless I go to Rio
These wonders to behold—
Roll down—roll down to Rio—
Roll really down to Rio!
Oh, I'd love to roll to Rio
Some day before I'm old!