Indonesian Handbag
Indonesian Handbag by Jan Cornall
Please help me, will you help me I don't know what to do Please help me, will you save me From falling in love with you It would be no problem If the singular were in use But in your case it's the plural That is causing me my mind to lose!
Please help me, will you help me I don't know what to do It's not just one Indonesian But the whole bang lot of you Every hand I shake every smile I see Every laugh I share everyone I greet I stagger, I swoon, I crumple, I fall Into a jelly heap
Please help me, will you help me Can you tell me what to do? I fall in love on every corner Every day anew You're so sexy and delicious Passionate, outrageous Intelligent, good-looking and good cooks too And I want the world to share in my discovery At the same time I want to keep you all just for me
My friends think I've gone crazy My friends think I've gone mad 'Cos I'm always getting on a plane For Indonesia land
Please help me, will you help me I don't know what to do I know I'm not the first or last To fall headlong over heels for you And they can call me what they like I don't care Indo Groupy, Indohag, Indonesian Handbag!
But my government's suspicious Wants to keep us estranged They know you're so irresistible We'd all soon be engaged
My government is scared Of a terrorist attack But the only terror that I have Is of never coming back!
Please help me, will you help me I don't know what to do I've fallen, seriously fallen For the whole bang lot of you!
So when you see me standing on the street With tears in my eyes I'm not sad, I'm just happy My dreams to realize To finally meet a people So generous and kind Who stimulate my body and excite my mind (I had asked god to send me one new lover And now I have 200 million new friends to discover!)
And there's only one question, now I have to ask Dear Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, God, Buddha Am I dreaming? If so, please make this dream last!
And be careful what you wish for You just might get it!
-- Indonesia, 2005
Published in Indozine 1: Indonesian Handbag, Indosongs & Indopoems 04/05, Jan Cornall:August 2005. Permission for publication in The Jakarta Post granted by author.