The Adrian Song of the Week
12. Marshmallow
A song about the beauty of chocolate marshmellows :-)
https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=14180899
Recently we went shopping at Schiavoni's Market in Sag Harbor, NY. They seem to be the only place that sells English crumpets in the immediate area. Sadly, we were out of luck. While browsing the shelves we did come across one of my childhood favorites... Marshmallow's. How could I resist.
Not just any old marshmallows, but a brand called 'Dare' that claimed they were 'Pure Chocolate Whippet' A heavenly cloud-like marshmallow cookie coated in pure dark chocolate . Quebec's favorite since 1927.'
Growing up I always called them 'Mellows' rather than 'Mallows'... but never recall describing them as 'Whippets. 'Whippet's were greyhound like dogs owned by Yorkshiremen. Apparently our marshmallows got their name from the mallow plant (Athaea officinalis) which is native to salty marshes in Asia and Europe. The root of the mallow is used to make the mushy white bit.
The environment in which the plant grows led to them being called marsh-mallow's. Whoever came up with the idea of mounting the mallow on a base of crunchy biscuit and then dousing it in chocolate was pure genius.
I recall on a songwriting retreat, being told that you could find inspiration in anything, and how somebody had had a big hit writing a song about a coffee cup. I had to smile inwardly as... long before I discovered there were rules about how songs should be written (and the topics they could include), I had already composed many a ditty to inanimate objects. In particular food - one of the great loves of my life.
Chocolate Marshmallows held a wonderful attraction. So many ways you could eat them. And they were all messy.
You could start on the chocolate, gradually consuming the outer layer, piece by piece, before demolishing the biscuit and finishing up on the mallow itself.
Or you could gently taste it from different angles. A chocky/mallow bit here. Hmmm. Now a bit of biscuit.
Or you could go straight for the kill and just shove the whole thing in your mouth, greedily consuming it with your cheeks bulging like a hamster and a giveaway dribble from the side of your mouth.
The song is an old recording, made on my trusty 4 track Teac A3340, long before computers and digital came around. The song itself, even older. Like me.
Marshmallow
© Adrian J Pratt 1973ish
Marshmallow, Marshmallow,
My magnificent mushy marshmallow.
How I like to taste
Your little mushy fill
You conjure up volumptous glee
Marshmallow, Marshmallow,
My magnificent mushy marshmallow.
Thick chocolate, Thick chocolate,
Is mellows integral part
Without chocolate marshy would be a flop
A mournfully floppy mallow
Marshmallow, Marshmallow,
My magnificent mushy marshmallow.
Plain biscuit, Plain biscuit,
Makes up your crunchy base
The part that makes you really think
And then flake off chocolate bit by bit
Marshmallow, Marshmallow,
My magnificent mushy marshmallow.
Marshmallow, Marshmallow,
My magnificent mushy marshmallow.
Marshmallow, Marshmallow,
My magnificent mushy marshmallow.
After note. The song uses the word "volumptous." Volumptous is a misspelling of "voluptuous" derived from Latin 'voluptas', which refers to sensual pleasure and not to shape. A voluptuous body is a luxurious body. However "volumptous." refers to volume. The volume of edible delight delivered to me by a magnificent mushy marshmallow was both sensual and intense in volume. So “volumptous” it is.