Alexander Armstrong: The Modern Major General's Song

[@TheTsar1918]

Drunk karaoke challenge level: 1,000,000.

[@generalnawaki]

......oh now theres an idea

[@lindabondperry]

Haha !

[@fandom4589]

Imagine having 900 likes but 3 responses

[@DeltaDanner]

Working on it as we speak

[@danielpease641]

I could buy that.

[@JoshFreilich]

What, no encore?! There is a long-written rule that the Modern Major General's song must always be followed by an encore! So we hereby demand an encore!!!!

[@ethanbenner6995]

Hit the repeat button

[@Nighthawk1066_]

Ethan Benner the encore generally has new lyrics.

[@bkbj8282]

shut the fuck up nerd

[@TheWhoamaters]

@@bkbj8282 Ok boomer

[@princepartee725]

0:00

[@tscream80]

People should get an award for singing this song.

[@sirquiffkuffsofmarsbars6036]

tscream80 With being knighted by the queen

[@borisc6714]

And so should the xylophone player...

[@TheAngryMoth104]

It's really not that hard with a bit of practice

[@drewdrewski6278]

I did it in 2hrs.. If you slow the tempo down as you learn it, its not hard!

[@unig9]

Ah men. I couldn't sing this song if my life depended on it. So for those that can, you have my respect.

[@juliabell7201]

Hey this was for charity and not easy to sing. This man has a great voice as his latest album shows. He is multi-talented and a nice guy!

[@littlemissie7978]

+Julia Bell Not easy to sing? You can say *that* again. I just tried to at least sing the line **"I am the very model of a modern major general"** to myself, and it pretty much felt like a tongue twister. :p It's difficult to sing it fast, and to get it correct in the process. This man is obviously very talented, and to sing a song like this at great speed, and to know all the words along with it seems like a difficult challenge to me. I know at the very least, it would probably take me 5 years to learn. :p Anyway, if you think about it, all you would have to do is learn all the words, and hey presto, you've got it! Then you just have to sing it fast..... nothing to it. Well something a bit like that I think. :)

[@Muck006]

He should have spent a lot more effort on the ACTING part too. Running around in "todays steps" (and not a bit of military goose step) while waving left and right doesnt fit.

[@TheAngryMoth104]

over-all it isn't an overly difficult song with practice, i had to do it in school at 16

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

+The Hitcher. You poor guy.

[@danimations1440]

The Smart-Casual Gamer. Really, it’s not that’s hard, you can probably get it down after about 2/3hrs

[@stephenlang3135]

Remember Gilbert and Sullivan were the satirists of their day.

[@QemeH]

Yeah, this is basically the army equivalent of "I'm the monarch of the sea" in HMS Pinafore. :D

[@BadWebDiver]

Yes; that's why it's standard practice to substitute modern references in verses, as was done here.

[@GrahamCommander]

Well done Alexander. For anyone to remember all the words, is wothy of admiration. Let alone being able to sing the full piece at such a hetic pace, is simply amazing. It makes me feel breathless just listening

[@danielwhyatt3278]

Seriously. It’s absolutely bloody amazing that anyone can ever get this song perfectly right. Let alone without reading the script right in front of you. Actually doing it on a stage in front of basically the whole world is just insane.😂😎👌🏼🎉

[@saraperlstein]

I've tried to learn this song before, and, believe me, if you don't know it down to the letter you're gonna mess up, so it's actually not surprising that they don't have a script. I keep being amazed at all the great performers who manage to pull it off though - it's really an impressive feat.

[@russelljohnson4527]

I just did it in a local community theatre production and there's no way in creation ANYBODY could read that fast! It took me a month to learn and it's all muscle memory. The funny thing is, once you got it, you DON'T forget it. it's weird, but that's the way it goes!

[@tamerlanenj]

It's realy not that hard. Just takes a little practice. I used to do it when I was a little kid.

[@SebastiaanHolStadsgids]

That's also why he is presenting 'Pointless'...

[@SebastiaanHolStadsgids]

@@saraperlstein It's also in the rhyming, of course. But Shakespeare already knew that, and Gilbert also knew that, of course...

[@GenerationLex]

A verse for all human biologists out there: The Cranium and mandible and clavicle and scapula, link humerus and radius, the ulna, then the hand bones are, your tarsals, meta tarsals, and phalanges, now we've gone too far so now we go back up until we reach the shoulder, then there are... The sternum and the costae cage your organs up from being harmed, The long vertebral column saves your spinal cord and makes it hard, The pelvis helps you walk and run, or generally all movement, and it also saves your reproductive organs, bladder and rectum. We're to the legs, and almost there, the femur and the patella will link to larger tibia, and outer thinner fibula, with carpals, metacarpals and phalanges at the end there are no more major bones to know so that is it, so good so far.

[@mixerfistit5522]

Oops, somebody mixed up their carpals and tarsals...

[@syphrGB]

Your metre is off and the fact of the matter is that you do not rhyme beside that. Therefore you should review this comment or feel bad about it

[@comradewindowsill4253]

@@syphrGB its a patter song, the whole point is that the speed carries it, and the actual metre is pretty awful.

[@syphrGB]

@@comradewindowsill4253 Who cares what you think!

[@comradewindowsill4253]

@@syphrGB lmao you evidently, wasnt expecting a response on an 11 month old *reply*

[@potdog1000]

anyone who can sing this without buggering it up has my ultimate respect & admiration, I have tried lots of times & failed every time lol

[@damienclarke5429]

“When I can shun both right and left, And all their merry sloganning, And find words of sufficient heft, To praise dear Terry Wogan in” On the fly do we reckon?

[@greenerell484]

IDK

[@BadWebDiver]

I think it was scripted, but delivered brilliantly.

[@lesleydoughty3895]

Absolutely brilliant. Love the Wogan bit.

[@lordmusea]

I thought he was just the Pointless host, but now I learn he has actual talent. Solid work!

[@dermotwalsh9572]

Excellent comedian with his mate Miller. Also a very credible singer.

[@peteredwards338]

Talented pianist too .

[@destendgem]

I want Alexander Armstrong as Doctor 14.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

He's already been two characters in the programme!

[@destendgem]

The Lego Communist Yeah, and? How many characters has Mark Gatiss played?

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

Fair point.

[@danielpease641]

I can see that.

[@lukedabford1825]

The Smart-Casual Gamer. Who has he been, because I’ve obviously missed them?

[@chs2144]

This video is a source of recurrent and endless joy to me.

[@StevenTorrey]

The world is falling apart, but there is always time to listen to this!

[@citythink]

Raised on G&S… love when a performer nails this one. Such a brilliant piece of writing and music.

[@willtiffany5409]

But have you studied species Turian, Asari, and Batarian?

[@puppetmasterey]

Gipper 1911 what about tautology!

[@lutenantsweedpertasa]

Gipper 1911 only one person can be the very models of a scientist Salarian.

[@matthewforbes2969]

@@lutenantsweedpertasa someone else might have gotten it wrong.....

[@generalnawaki]

i saved him. i shot him in the damn foot but protheans as my witness he lives!

[@herusolares5320]

In physics theoretical and matters combat-tactical, I am the very model of a modern major-general!

[@iedesnoek]

Wow, what a voice, and such a funny song. Well done!

[@AnthonyRooney-be2tx]

Thank you very much indeed

[@samsowden]

There's antimony arsenic aluminium selenium and hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium, and nickel, neodymium, neptunium, germanium and iron americium ruthenium uranium.

[@stevefahnestalk8500]

Those are the only ones of which the news has come to Harvard....

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

And there may be more but they haven't been discovered...

[@austinholt8987]

I’d love for there to only been 16 elements So much easier to learn

[@biancamaecovers689]

There's earth and air and fire and water.

[@beyoncealways2911]

Tom Lehrer is brilliant

[@johndavidtibbetts7320]

This song has been passed down the armstrong line for generations!!!

[@geoffgeoff5586]

Just once I'd like to see an eminent archaeologist on TV say "At last we have found a washing bill in Babylonic Cunieform

[@qwertyTRiG]

Cunieform, being pressed into dry clay tablets, lasts for thousands of years. We have more Akkadian material than from some far more recent civilizations.

[@Ppppinkland]

Ahh, like the Dr Irving Finkel for instance!

[@comradewindowsill4253]

@@qwertyTRiG not quite! Cuneiform was pressed into *wet* clay tablets, which were frequently erased and reused. The only way we get examples of daily writings or letters is if they were accidentally fired, say in a house fire, and then preserved for millennia without shattering. Not so frequent an occurrence, that, though it has happened.

[@cameronhodgetts920]

This song could literally be Richard Osmam's theme song.

[@MrOzzy281]

Liberal prat who has all the answers on cards in front of him

[@thatssofetch3481]

MAGA anti-globalist that is generally what happens on quiz shows.

[@MrOzzy281]

@@thatssofetch3481 Answers to the questions, yes. But this chap has rambling answers that go into more depth (same as on QI).... it makes him sound smarter than he is, and morons like you think he has the same level of detail as any other quiz show, he's just a genius, God help you!

[@thatssofetch3481]

MAGA anti-globalist I really don’t want to talk to someone who’s identity is based around their politics.

[@MrOzzy281]

@@thatssofetch3481 Then why reply? You haven't got a basic grasp of the English language 'who's' - lol, but nice cop-out!

[@cloe1704]

Bravo!

[@lukevankleef4245]

I thought the title said ''The Modern Major General's Son'' and this was going to be some kind of sequel! XD

[@christopherpeck9957]

Beautifully done, everything all 'Sir Garnet'!

[@MrRooibos123]

What calculator was this filmed on?

[@mog398]

Bandicam, obviously

[@jakephreel]

Just be happy someone filmed it dude

[@spencer2571]

'That infernal nonsense Pinafore!' Me: I understood that reference!

[@sueabbott6218]

So do I and so will any lover of G & S

[@MrKaywyn]

A truly remarkable performance by Xander from Pointless.

[@johannebaker9730]

I didn’t know he could sing?! Well done 😂❤

[@mandykesby9284]

You should watch the BBC version of the Sound of Music put out several years ago.

[@derekambler]

A Pupil in Kings College Choir

[@cromwellcruiser]

The eagle eyed among you KZbin viewers will of course recognise he is wearing a full general's, not a major-general's, insignia.

[@DrWhom]

expand

[@Peoples_Republic_of_Devonshire]

@@DrWhom a Major General is junior to a Lieutenant General, who is in turn junior to a General, who is in turn junior to a Field Marshal A Brigadier generally commands a Brigade of 3 battalions plus support units such as a light artillery battery and an engineer squadron, so around 4,000 men A Major General commands a Division comprising of typically 3 Brigades and heavier support units, e.g. heavier artillery batteries and suchlike, with a command size at around 12,000-13,000. A Lieutenant General commands a corps which usually consists of 3 Divisions, some 60,000-70,000. A General commands an Army consisting of multiple corps, for example the famous British Eighth Army consisted of XXX Corps and XIII Corps. A Field Marshal commands multiple Armies either as head of the military - Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) - or as a theatre commander such as the British Expeditionary Force under Field Marshal Haig

[@reichtangle7734]

@@Peoples_Republic_of_Devonshire Haig had no care for his men in ww1. Letting 100s of thousands of men die for a couple miles of land. Careless battle tactics even for back then.

[@Peoples_Republic_of_Devonshire]

@@reichtangle7734 don't tell me you're one of those lions led by donkeys idiots. It's a total myth

[@reichtangle7734]

@@Peoples_Republic_of_Devonshire Mate I’m British myself and I had a great grandad who served at the battle of the Somme. He survived tho. I wouldn’t say it’s a myth, tho it’s greatly exaggerated.

[@chrisr1472]

Hopefully Alexander will do Tom Lehrer's period table version of this song next!

[@jsw11984]

Or Modin Solus’s “Scientist Salarian”

[@sanguiniue]

this song was passed down the Armstrong name for generations

[@BigDictator5335]

He can tell the difference between a Mauser and a javelin. I thought one must become a lieutenant general for that knowledge.

[@ulrikschackmeyer848]

I quite follow you. It is after all GENERAL knowledge!

[@anthonykyte8287]

Well done Alexander 👏

[@bopman1578]

I performed Pirates in a youth chorus with an adult singer playing this character. He never managed to get through it without stumbling, except for the last performance we did, which we all had to stop ourselves from cheering along with the audience.

[@danielpease641]

Never change, Alex.

[@TheHutchy01]

Unfortunately one person said that, so you won't be leaving with the pointless jackpot.

[@cedricwublin9306]

Some very good answers on obscure facts, let's see if any of our 100 people said them.

[@DarthWill3]

I love that song!

[@wolfgangamadeusmozart8772]

1:31 Shots fired.

[@namingisdifficult408]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart hello

[@wolfgangamadeusmozart8772]

Quickman may win Morning.

[@danielpease641]

Yeah

[@RHG1967]

This person was the voice of Sarah Jane's computer "Mr. Smith" from the Sarah Jane Adventures in case anyone out there didn't know.

[@BadWebDiver]

And the the modern version of Danger Mouse.

[@danielpease641]

2:32 couldn't resist could you

[@andrewsuryali8540]

This must be what it would have been like when the real "very model of modern major general" (Sir Garnet Woolsey) performed this song.

[@barbarabauling7513]

Stunning! :)

[@opmnath]

An excellent performance from an excellent man.

[@mikerichards9377]

Yes! Very good! Thank you.

[@peterdavies2960]

His late granddad Sir Keith who played him would be proud 🥹 wait this was a year before his Death…

[@chittys]

fantastic

[@allenlovell1604]

I'm amazed his tongue doesn't get all twisted doing all these stanzas in the song! Before I watched this version, I watched the Simpsons with " Side Show Bob vs Bart Simpson," and I thought that was an excellent piece of work; seeing this live performance 👏 was incredible 😲,

[@hammondcheesa-angwich6009]

Spittin straight facts.

[@SpaceLioness]

actually recognized this because of a homage in Mass Effect. go scientists salarians!

[@puppetmasterey]

L. Reyes OMG yes. Mordin was the best thing since the side character was invented

[@roohikassam3125]

Aspergirl

[@jezzathenugget]

the way he says mineral

[@JoshuaSobel]

He looks like George W. Bush

[@danielpease641]

I can't quite see it.

[@DarkThunderism]

Speaking of, RIP Terry Wogan.

[@l-y-d-s]

What makes the performance odd is it is supposed to be satire where the Major General takes himself way too seriously but the performance doesn't communicate that.

[@BadWebDiver]

This isn't the play.

[@carolinefoey5470]

In the days when comic relief was… 1 actually COMIC and 2 actually WORTH WATCHING. Oh how I miss those shows!

[@itskdog]

This was Children in Need, hence Pudsey everywhere

[@whenitcounts8657]

Thats a lot of daughters!

[@KishoreShenoy1994]

I would love to see Richard Osman do the Pirate king song.

[@krassos]

He looks like a member of the Bush family. The smart one with a decent grasp of language.

[@bobbythorman7421]

krassos That member of the family is on the endangered species list and very hard to find.!

[@jezzathenugget]

make this trend

[@hiro2protagonist]

Anyone else confused at first by sat-a-gee? I looked into it and I think I've got it. More correct would be sat a gee gee as gee gee seems to be a slang for horse and sat a horse is to sit properly on and utilize a horse. So when he says rode a horse he's telling you what he meant with that nonsense turn of phrase that seems to have originated in this musical. Gee gee seems to be slang for horse due to gee being used in horse riding as a command at times by some groups. But it confused me at first and this is only speculation based on my quick research and reading of the script. Now I kind of want to research the other lyrics to see if they are clever references as well. Probably, given the legendary writers.

[@jasonbaylor9865]

I believe sat-a-gee was just a British language joke to fit the rhyme. Like a better general has ever sat before you basically

[@ulrikschackmeyer848]

In fact (as in: so I've read) the gee gee is the hobby horses of the nursery. So when the children rode through the room and corridors on the stick horses or rocked to and fro on their rocking horses they would say ' Gee gee'. Thus today playing on horseraces today is in Britain called 'playing the gee gee' s'.

[@petertaylor4980]

Your interpretation is correct. The song in general is a satire of the way army officers were drawn from the ranks of the upper classes and often had expensive educations but no idea about how to win battles or wars.

[@GenericName007]

I'm trying to learn this song, just b/c...it's not easy. :)

[@fordpopular8792]

BRILLIANT

[@gabitamiravideos]

I can’t help it, as soon as I hear the tune I start muttering “There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium”…

[@NoahSpurrier]

Tom Lehrer

[@MamaMOB]

Why do I feel like to be a general in the British army you should have to be able to sing this at least once. It doesn’t have to be good you just have to be able to do it.

[@themadplotter]

Great job.

[@NovaRuner]

This song is famous for requiring a lot of words to be sung very quickly. And so very difficult to pull off. So yes I applaud any body who can successfully sing it. 👏👏 bravo However, having said that, I am not sure how to feel about the fact the fast paced lyrics are basically humble bragging about just how very smart the guy is, how much he knows about all the academic topics. Being smart and skilled is fine, but do you have to brag about it?

[@TheHutchy01]

Rather surprisingly not Pointless

[@dorkmax7073]

3:04 Oh shit, he almost messed up. Anyone else spot it?

[@bushit123456]

I really like what they did with the piano (1:00-1:26), does anyone know if there's a name for that type of ornament?

[@trueroscoe]

My new reference for this song.

[@jddiggy2343]

This is like speed rapping for the theater 🎭

[@scopex2749]

OK AA now try this after 6 large Scotch's and a few lagers....................well done old chap I'll see you in the mess this evening!

[@l.moorey]

Guys... I think he's a major general.

[@neilhugo4033]

Brilliant

[@fatboyfat3690]

*Auto-Caption has left the chat*

[@ezjaz5]

Auto-Caption: Behdyfbshsvxhdahsdufsbwgdifsj I give up

[@JoshFreilich]

"I Am The Very Bottom Magician"

[@MatthewH-l2e]

Danger Mouse is a great singer

[@tskmaster3837]

I don't want to come out and say this is not a very good performance of the song but.... If you're wondering how he knows the lines, it's this speed. If you're wondering how he's breathing, THAT's the correct speed.

[@Warpedsmac]

a good equivalent is Trouble in River City from The Music Man...I would like to see Robert Preston have a go at this.

[@zeeblock22]

Had to be him, someone else could've gotten it wrong

[@MorgaineRiddlePrince]

Also Tom Lehrer who wrote "the elements" and "poisoning pigeons in the park".

[@LlSSY_G]

When your teacher expects you to remember this by heart and perform in front of the entire class: 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 Rip me and my class mates ears ;-;

[@tthomaselli2]

The only version I know of this song is from an episode of 'Animaniacs'.

[@dangerfindertreasureseeker8905]

My favorite " Modern General " is Freeman from Freemans Mind. Plus he is gunning down aliens at the same time.

[@chris619yo]

Goes playback 1.2 and it still satisfying

[@furydeath]

bandicam in 2016 what is this

[@ezjaz5]

This was the song un Minions when they walk in to that ine building except its in ğibr¡sH

[@DanielCrookeFilms]

Genius👍🏽

[@T1M6]

Okay but not a patch on the D'Oyly Carte singers of old.

[@Tricanon]

It is a brilliant rendition, but this video is ruined by its incessant stuttering.

[@malcy86]

Such jittery audio cutting out quality but worth it for the Wogan line...Just

[@tyrongkojy]

Can you do it again? But FASTER?

[@bryanstoudenmire4173]

💅👏👏👏

[@northsentinelisland4763]

Is a british brigadier general required to sing this upon promotion?

[@1996jacksparrow]

With the eggs on top

[@kiekceperezq]

Minion en pandemia (Jun 2020)

[@gromit1943]

What's the story behind the animated organ pipes?

[@helloxyz]

is there something wrong with my phone, PC or router ? I just can't get it to stream cleanly.

[@me-dc8pj]

No I think its just the vid

[@darthsawlex8257]

And now, the final curtain.

[@deztiwanak3624]

With that long list of abilities, I recommend a promotion!😂