Rinky Dink

It´s a pedal-powered radio station
It´ll fire up your imagination
It´s a sound system, it´ll make you dance
Might make you jump right outta your pants
Traveling roadshow microphone
With a bicycle seat as the throne
If you see it you´ll agree
It´s right there on your frequency

It´s the Rinky Dink, the Rinky Dink
When you´re feeling on the brink
It´ll make you laugh, it´ll make you think
Talking about that Rinky Dink

The soap´s a-bubbling, breeze is blowing
Ain´t no telling where it´s going
The windmill´s swinging with the tribe
It´s that day-glo, solar vibe
Stop a riot, it´s been done
It´ll part the clouds and bring the sun
It don´t matter where you´ve been
Just sit on down and tune right in

It´s the Rinky Dink, the Rinky Dink
Just might be the missing link
It´ll make you nod, it´ll make you wink
Talking about that Rinky Dink

They´ll come rolling through your town
You might go up and never come down
It´s the cure for air pollution
It´s the Rinky Dink solution
Folks´ll wonder, folks´ll stare
Kids´ll jump into their chair
Before they go you know the rub
Put a quid into the tub

It´s the Rinky Dink, the Rinky Dink
It´ll ease up any kink
It´ll make your troubles shrink
Talking about that Rinky Dink

The Rinky Dink, the Rinky Dink
Give those folks something to drink
Turn the pedals, clackity-clink
Talking about that Rinky Dink

“Rinky Dink” appears on the 2001 CD, Living in These Times.

I first encountered the Rinky Dink bicycle machine at protests outside of climate-related international talks in Bonn, Germany in the summer of 2001.  I have since run into the Rinky Dink and its people once in Scotland, and on a number of occasions in England, where they’re from.