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I got the idea for Underwater Vet from my young friend, Tanami. During our interview, I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and she said an ‘Underwater Vet’.

 

As soon as she said those two words, strange pictures and sounds floated through my brain and I knew that it would become a song. I’d never heard anyone say that they wanted to be an underwater vet before. My father was a vet, but not an underwater vet, he was an above-ground vet who treated large farm animals like horses, pigs, cattle, sheep and the occasional alpaca.

 

Tanami’s parents are both visual artists who make strange and beautiful art and their home is full of interesting objects and places where you can make things: a sewing machine in the corner, coloured pencils on a table in the living room, giant cardboard sculptures in the backyard.

 

When I asked Tanami what kind of music she listens to she said ‘relaxing music’ and that she also likes to listen to audio books. So, I made an underwater section in this song that is more like a ‘sound story’ than a song. See if you can hear it.

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Tanami

My favourite music is relaxing music

I like sloths, drawing and listening to stories.

I don’t like smelly cheese or people being mean.

Q. What was good and what was bad about lockdown?

A. Well, I think that the things that are good about lockdown, I did not have to wake up early. Not good was not seeing my friends.

Credits

Written by Lucky Jim.

Arranged by Lucky Jim and His Imaginary Friends

Lucky Jim – Acoustic guitar, percussion, lead vocals

Imaginary Friends

Dan Kempers – Drums

Simon Milman – Electric Bass

Matthew Lustri – Electric guitar

Ben Foster – Keys

Special guests

Craig Greening – Special effects

Tony Hunter and Matthew Nightingale – Hand claps

The Scullin Gang, featuring Josie, Beau, Banjo, Liam, George – Backing vocals

UNDERWATER VET (extended version)

CHORUS

Underwater Vet

Don’t wanna be a doctor

Don’t wanna be a nurse

Don’t wanna be a writer

Always writing verse

I’ll tell you what I’ll be

I'll tell you when you're set

I’ll be an Underwater Vet

 

I’ll take care of the Octopus

(repeat)

Cause I am an animal doctorpus

(repeat)

I’ll look after the tiger shark

(repeat)

He is a pussy cat - scared of the dark

(repeat)

I’ll put a bandaid on the whale

(repeat)

If there's an accident with her tail

(repeat)

I will teach the old dogfish

(repeat)

I will teach the dogfish tricks

(repeat)

And if the catfish loses a fin

(repeat)

I'll glue the fin back on again

(repeat)

What about the sea anemones?

(repeat)

They have many many enemies

(repeat)

I'll look after the tiny Krill

(repeat)

I'll treat them with a tiny pill

(repeat)

What if the seahorse pulls up lame?

(repeat)

they can make an insurance claim

(repeat)

What if the pufferfish loses its puff

(repeat)

without any puff he's not tough enough

(repeat)

What if the brain coral loses it's mind?

(repeat)

That's another thing that I have to find

(repeat)

If you a have a goldfish pet

(repeat)

I will be your underwater vet

(repeat)

 

CHORUS

Don’t wanna be a doctor

Don’t wanna be a nurse

Don’t wanna be a writer

Always writing verse

I’ll tell you what I’ll be

I'll tell you when you're set

I’ll be an Underwater Vet

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