Reported speech

This is part of the complete Exercises in Song cycle being released on this site.

"Reported speech " is a bonus exercise, not to be found in Raymond Queneau's original Exercices de Style nor in the translations.

To be sung to the tune of "Show Me The Way To Go Home". More information here.

He said he'd talked to this chap
Who wanted to get home to his mum.
He'd said he'd been up half the night and spun a yarn—
But he said he stank of rum!

He said that he then tried
To just brush this chap aside,
But he wouldn't take the hint, so my friend—
Just to get rid of him—lied!