Bus Driver's Prayer

The Bus Driver's Prayer, also known as the Busman's Lord's Prayer, was a parody of the Lord's Prayer that takes the bus driver around Greater London (while avoiding further destinations). The words are apocryphal and have been around since 1970 at least. The wordplay, making extensive use of puns on English place names, is typical of English humour.

It was recorded by Ian Dury on "The Bus Driver's Prayer and Other Stories" (1992), who used just those placenames which referred to London locations.

Below is a version predating Dury's recording, with alternate versions given in Notes.

"Our Farnham, [Our Father] who art in Hendon"Harrow be Thy name."Thy Kingston come; thy Wimbledon,"In Erith as it is in Hendon."Give us this day our daily Brent [Give us this day our Berkhampstead / our Leatherhead] "And forgive us our Westminster"As we forgive those who Westminster against us. [Forgive us our bypasses,
As we forgive those who bypass against us] "And lead us not into Thames Ditton [And lead us not into Temple Station] "But deliver us from Yeovil. [But deliver us from Ewell / from Ealing] "For Thine is the Kingston, the Purley and the Crawley, [For Thine is the Kingston, the Powys and the Goring] "For Esher and Esher. [for Iver and Iver] "Crouch End.

ee also

*List of songs about London
*Word play
*Puns
*Place name origins

Notes

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A10831727 This gives and describes the locations in Dury's version] BBC The Guide to Life, The Universe and Everything.