Buffalo and bison
Bison and buffalo
Cannonball and rifle
Rifle and cannonball
That's the way the thunder rumbles
That's the way the thunder rumbles
Rumbles
Down on your knees again
Saying please again yeah, yeah, yeah
Kangaroo and chipmunk
Chipmunk and kangaroo
Ballyhoo and bedbugs
Bedbugs and ballyhoo
That's the way the bee bumbles
That's the way the bee bumbles
That's the way the bee bumbles
That's the way the bee bumbles
Bumbles
Down on your knees again
Saying please again no, no, no
No
Down on your knees again
Saying please again
Down on you knees again
Saying please again no, no, no
(No, no, no)
Buffalo and bison
Bison and buffalo
Cannonball and rifle
Rifle and cannonball
That's the way the thunder rumbles
That's the way the thunder rumbles
That's the way the thunder rumbles
That's the way the thunder rumbles
Rumbles
Rumble
Rumble
Bison and buffalo
Cannonball and rifle
Rifle and cannonball
That's the way the thunder rumbles
That's the way the thunder rumbles
Rumbles
Down on your knees again
Saying please again yeah, yeah, yeah
Kangaroo and chipmunk
Chipmunk and kangaroo
Ballyhoo and bedbugs
Bedbugs and ballyhoo
That's the way the bee bumbles
That's the way the bee bumbles
That's the way the bee bumbles
That's the way the bee bumbles
Bumbles
Down on your knees again
Saying please again no, no, no
No
Down on your knees again
Saying please again
Down on you knees again
Saying please again no, no, no
(No, no, no)
Buffalo and bison
Bison and buffalo
Cannonball and rifle
Rifle and cannonball
That's the way the thunder rumbles
That's the way the thunder rumbles
That's the way the thunder rumbles
That's the way the thunder rumbles
Rumbles
Rumble
Rumble
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All four of the animals named here are native to countries that the United Kingdom colonized, but not to the UK itself. That doesn't seem like a coincidence.
The British arrived with guns in those countries and used the guns to dominate the locals (on their knees). They also hunted those animals with guns.
There's a distinct, but not very elaborate, comment negative on the British colonization of North America and Australia.
The voice behind "that's the way the thunder rumbles ... bee bumbles" is downplaying the evils of that, an ironic dismissal that the song doesn't espouse.
@rikdad101@yahoo.com <br /> <br /> I agree it’s clearly in reference to UK colonization era, also bedbugs and ballyhoo (a garbage bait fish) are what the sailors had to endure then.