Songs have been sung at the WIMA rallies since the early days: Some were written originally for WIMA, some adapted and/or translated. While some songs have had a recurring presence, others have just been temporary, for example as a performance at the Trash Night. As Frances Popley writes in the original history booklet: “No account of the activities of the Continental Division would be complete without at least a brief mention of the WIMA song”. The Continental Division was the way divisions overseas from America were referred to at the time. Now songs are sung at rallies all over the world, here we have collected as many as we could. Members who know more songs are invited to get in touch.
The following song was written by Agnès Acker for the Annual Rally in France in 1974 and first sung on the last night of the Rally at the Prize-giving. Frances Popley commented “The words of the song are often to be heard on the camp site at the Continental Rally. They are not intended to be taken seriously but simply as an adjunct to the happy carefree atmosphere that typifies the Rally scene”.
WIMA SONG
La WIMA c’est une terrible association
Rassemblant des filles de tous les horizons
Demoiselles brunes sur Yamaha
Demoiselles blondes sur Pannonia
A moto pas de donger que je m’ennuie
Peu de frein, mais beaucoup gaz et vas-y
La griserie des virages
La bagarre quand il pleut.
Ma Suzuki pleine de fougue et d’ardeur
Rugissante etincelante ma Honda
BMW d’acier et de douceur
MZ Jawa de mon coeur
Quand un homme contre lui me serre fort
Me disant comma Tarzan “Je suis très fort”
Moi je lui demande innocement
“Sauvais-tu changer un segment?”
A ROUGH TRANSLATION
WIMA is a terrific Association
Gathering girls of different backgrounds
Brunettes on Yamahas
Blondes on Pannonias
On a motorbike boredom is kept at bay
A little braking, a lot of throttle and let’s go .
The headiness of bends.
The fight when it rains.
My Suzuki full of vigour and passion
Roaring and scintillating is my Honda
BMW of steel and gentleness
MZ and Jawa are my loves
When a man holds me close against him
Saying, like Tarzan “l am very strong”,
Innocently l ask him “Can you change a piston ring?”
Lied in Germany, 1999
Great Britain, Hooke Court, 2003
At the International rally in GB in 2003 a song inspired by both drinking and a popular children’s song was composed. Lu Travers writes in the GB national newsletter: “The song was so addictive that us Wessex lot haven’t been able to stop singing it each time we meet up”.
It was sung to the tune of The Dinosaur Song (a nursery rhyme for days of the week and counting) and written by Zoe Jeffryes and a few of the GB crowd at the International Rally. (The rally was held close to the Jurassic coast and dinosaurs are a big thing in this area!)
2003 Dorset song
On Sunday one dinosaur came to me and said……..we need 2 large barrels of IPA, 2 small barrels of IPA, 396 cans of Stella, 240 cans of Fosters, 240 cans of Blackthorn, 120 cans of Coke, 120 cans of diet Coke, 24 bottles of good red, 24 bottles of cheap red and 24 bottles of white as well as 96 cans of Woodpecker, 96 cans of Tango and 96 cans of 7 Up. We played and played all day, and then we drank away, say goodbye dinosaurs, say goodbye dinosaurs.
On Monday two dinosaurs came to me and said… we need two more cases of good red and a couple more large barrels of IPA. We played and played all day, and then we drank away, say goodbye dinosaurs, say goodbye dinosaurs.
On Tuesday three dinosaurs came to me and said… we need another 3 cases of good red, one and a half barrels of beer and a case of white. We played and played all day, and then we drank away, say goodbye dinosaurs, say goodbye dinosaurs.
On Wednesday four dinosaurs came to me and said… we need four cases of good red please. We played and played all day, and then we drank away, say goodbye dinosaurs, say goodbye dinosaurs.
On Thursday five dinosaurs came to me and said… shit we’ve drunk the bar dry… we need a case of white, 2 cases of good red, 6 crates of Stella, 1 and a half barrels of beer and a packet of crisps please!! We played and played all day, and then we drank away, say goodbye dinosaurs, say goodbye dinosaurs.
On Friday six dinosaurs came to me and said… we need 2 cases of Coke and 192 cans of Stella please oh and can you put back 72 cans of Blackthorn and 24 diet Cokes, they’re not strong enough for big, big bodies and tiny little heads. We played and played all day, and then we drank away, say goodbye dinosaurs, say goodbye dinosaurs.
On Saturday seven dinosaurs came to me and said… we’ve got great big bodies and… (wait for it)… bloody sore heads!!!!
The Netherlands, Borculo, 2004
At the rally in The Netherlands 2004 we were in for a surprise. A group of women came disguised as members of the new WIMA-division Fürstentum Liechtenstein and performed the song WIMA Queen.
WIMA Queen – ABBA
You’ve a bike, you can drive
Having the time of your life
See these girls, watch that scene
Dig in the WIMA Queen
Friday night and we’re driving slow
We’re so glad we found Borculo
We have no GPS
and driving in our dress
Gave us a little stress
Very upset having a flat tire
Then one of the exhausts caught fire
Driving over a crossing, without a functioning brake, Baby, we got the shake
But we were on our way
To see the the WIMA Queens
Born to ride and to party here
WIMA Queen,
Greatest bikester we’ve ever seen
You’ve a bike, you can drive
Having the time of your life
See these girls, watch that scene
Dig in the WIMA Queen
We know we are 4 days late
And we’re in an outrageous state
We had to put up make-up, and had to do our hair But now we are finally there
And so we meet you here
You are the WIMA Queens
Born to ride and to party here
WIMA Queens,
Greatest bikester we’ve ever seen
You’ve a bike, you can drive
Having the time of your life
See these girls, watch that scene
Dig in the WIMA Queen
Following the WIMA Netherlands rally in Markelo 2010 Annette Johann, Motorrad Magazine, wrote: “‘Elsbeth, sing La Paloma again!’ With her tiny ukulele, the Swiss hobby cabaret artist smoothly manages to turn Edith Piaf into the vastness of seafaring. Almost a hundred metres further, Irmgard ‘Floh’ Petit turns to the other side in her sleeping bag, sighing. Already for the third time ‘La Paloma’. But she knows that any resistance is futile. When the WIMAs sing, they sing. No matter what, no matter how loud and always long. ‘Sailor’s bride is the sea!’ The WIMA party is in full swing. 2.30 am. Fat rain clouds are brewing over the approximately 200 tents and motorcycles on a meadow in Markelo, Holland. Annual meeting of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association (WIMA). Exactly 60 years after the American Louise Scherbyn united the first female motorcyclists in the USA”.
Campfire singing is a re-occurring feature at rallies but singing can occur at any time, especially in the party tent. ‘Flee fly flow’ is a song that has been sung at many rallies on the initiative of Berry Keller, former National President of WIMA Sweden. The procedure is that Berry sings first and then the everyone else repeats, line by line and it goes faster and faster. Initially, many thought that it was a Swedish language song, but it is not any known language, but a tongue-twister fun song.
FLEE FLY FLOW
Flee
Flee fly
Flee fly flow
Vista
Comela di comela di comela di vista No no no no no di vista
Ini mini desti mini oh oh oh abi mini Ich ibli oten boten bobo boana boten Flee
Flee fly
(And so on)
WIMA Sweden had their own song compiled, back in the old days. As far as we know it was only sung nationally. Here translated from Swedish by Åsa Öhqvist: “The original plays fast and loose with the Swedish grammar so I have kept this quirkiness, however the rhymes were lost in translation. ‘Jopp hej di…’ is a nonsense chant”.
WIMAs egen visa
Vi nu alla sjunga bör, jopp hej di, jopp hej da
Så det hörs i WIMAs kör, jopp hej di jopp hej da
Motorcykeln tillhör oss
och med den vi kopplar loss
Jopp hej di hej di hej da,
Jopp hej di, jopp hej da,
Jopp hej di, hej di, hej da, hej di, hej da
Till naturen ut vi tar, jopp hej di, jopp hej da
Och på vägen fint vi far, jopp hej di, jopp hej da
Våra förger rosa/svart alltid kallar oss till start
Jopp hej di….
Till vår MC står vår lit, jopp hej di, jopp hej da
Den vi ägnar mesta flit, jopp hej di jopp hej da
Hela världen är vårt mål, ja det visar vår symbol, jopp hej di….
WIMA’s song
We all now sing as we should – jopp hej di, jopp hej da so it is heard in WIMA’s choir – jopp hej di, jopp hej da
The motorcycle belongs to us, and with it we set off. Jopp hej di, hej di hej da jopp hej di, jopp hej da jopp hej di hej di hej da hej di, hej da
To nature we ourselves take, and on the road we go.
Our colours pink/black,
are calling us to start.
To our bike our trust stands, to it we dedicate most efforts.
The whole world is our goal, yes, this shows us our symbol.
Switzerland, Val-de-Travers, 2013
Returning our gaze to the international rallies, at the Swiss rally in 2013 we were seen off by this song.
We say goodbye, auf wiedersehn
Wir sind WIMAs und wir kommen von der grossen weiten Welt DAS IST SCHÖN, DAS MACHT SCHÖN
We are WIMAs and we’re coming from around the big nice world THIS IS GREAT, REALLY GREAT
LA LA LA…
Wir lieben Kurven, Wein und Bier darum sind wir alle hier DAS IST SCHÖN, DAS MACHT SCHÖN
We love riding on the bikes with the wind on our sides THIS IS GREAT, REALLY GREAT
LA LA LA…..
Gute Reise wünschen wir, allen Frauen danken wir
NUN GEHT’S LOS, AUF NACH HAUS
We wish you a lucky trip, just take care we hope you’re fit WE SAY GOODBYE, AUF WIEDERSEHN
Hungary,Esztergom, 2016
At the rally in Hungary 2016 we have a contemporary edition of a traditional British song performed at the Trash Night.
This was led by June Douglass and assisted by a multinational group of women who each sang the song in their own translated version. Sadly, these translations were not kept.
We’re climbing up to sunshine mountain where the cold wind blows ‘puff puff puff’
We’re climbing up to sunshine mountain cheeks a glow
Turn around your sorrows and hold your head up high
SO we’re climbing up to sunshine mountain You and I, You and I.
Finland, Parainen, 2018
At the rally in Finland 2018 June Douglass contributed with this song specially written for this rally.
WIMA aha
We are here for WIMA aha
We come on Hondas and BMAs aha
Yes, we are here for WIMA
The rally this year is in ‘Soooarmi’
And we’re gonna have one hell of a party
We come from ‘Nihon, Deutschland and Schweiz’
And our members are very nice
WIMA aha
We are here for WIMA aha
We come on Suzukis and BMAs aha
Yes, we are here for WIMA
Sweden, Nederlands, Curaçao, France
Australia with their kangaroo dance ‘
Ro mon ee, Bulgaria, Air stee’
Austria ‘yodel lodel odel ay eee’
WIMA aha
We are here for WIMA aha
We come on Hondas and BMAs aha
(but I came on a Jet A DC10)
The rally this year is in ‘Soooarmi’
And we’re gonna have one hell of a party
Great Britain and the US of A
Everybody ‘have a nice day’ ‘ya all’
WIMA aha
We are here for WIMA aha
We come on Hondas and BMAs aha
Yes, we are here for WIMA rally
England, Castleton, 2019
For the 2019 rally in Castleton, England, we stayed at Losehill Hall and camped on the adjoining area where sheep usually grazed. The occurrence of sheep poo amused some visitors and evidently spurred the creativity too. This award-winning song was the result:
Switzerland, Melchtal, 2022
At the rally in Switzerland 2022, we could finally meet again after two long years of Covid-19 crisis and two cancelled International Rallies. Uli Sturm wrote this song for the rally which reflects the happiness of finally meeting our WIMA sisters from all over the world.
Welcome riders!
Have a great time in Switzerland! WIMA Melchtal,
be a part of the family!
Great talks, short nights,
crazy games in the afternoon. Here in Melchtal,
feel that WIMA spirit soon! Joddeladi hi….
WIMA Rallies,
missed you so,
two years No.
Happy together again.
We come from different nations, from all around the globe.
So riding is our passion,
it is a kind of dope.
We love to ride the passroads and our motorcycle speed
Our recipe for happiness
and that’s all what we need.
Welcome riders!
Have a great time in Switzerland! WIMA Melchtal,
be a part of the family!
Great talks, short nights,
crazy games in the afternoon. Here in Melchtal,
feel that WIMA spirit soon! Joddeladi hi….
WIMA Rallies,
missed you so,
two years No.
Happy together again.
France, Parc National des Ecrins, 2023
You don’t like Germans, did some people say,
but I feel welcome, it’s just a cliché.
I shouldn’t think what other people are thinking,
but what you hear is almost not the best
These boots not made for walkin’,
look always for your fuel,
‘cause if your tank is empty,
it might be a little cruel.
Ya
I like beer and you prefer French wine,
Maybe if we share, it will be fine,
if I’m choosing I can’t even losing,
There is no wrong and there is no right,
Yet,
These boots not made for walkin’
look always for your fuel,
‘cause if your tank is empty,
it might be a little cruel.
I like riding, you like riding too
So WIMA is the best what we can do
(Ha)
Amazing week and I’m feeling great now
(Yeah)
Thank you, friends for things you cannot buy!
(Yeah)
These boots not made for walkin’
look always for your fuel,
‘cause if your tank is empty,
it might be a little cruel.
Are you ready boots? Start dancing!
To be continued…
