I was just struggling in the front door with my groceries, hungry and hot and tired, when I heard faint strains of “Greensleeves” in the distance. ICE CREAM VAN!* I was out the door in a flash. I found him around the corner, surrounded by all the old people from the neighborhood. It was hilarious. Two minutes later, I was back at home with my choc top. Perrrrrfect.
* I should explain for my Yank readers that ice cream trucks here are all vans, and they all play “Greensleeves.” They don’t sell crappy pre-packaged ice cream bars either, but instead have a soft serve machine and make cones with all types of candies and sprinkles on top.
And now I should explain for my Australian readers that Americans have the “ice cream truck,” which is often a little squarish truck. They don’t seem to have a signature tune that they play (at least, not where I grew up in Indiana). Rather than make cones on demand, instead they have a freezer full of prepackaged Popsicles and ice cream bars. A lot of them are designed to look like character faces, and they’re often really badly done.
Jen H
February 8, 2008 — 5:52 pm
There are ice cream trucks here in Oz. There’s one that comes past my parent’s home at Port Stephens and it rings a bell just like on their website (http://www.homeicecream.com/). You buy the pre-packed ice creams from them, just like in America.
Kris
February 8, 2008 — 5:56 pm
That looks like he’s giving them boxes from the back of the truck. Is it meant for buying in bulk? The American ones just sell individual ice lollies from a window in the side, like the vans here. (There are trucks that come around with bulk ice cream and frozen food, like the Schwan’s man.)
Jen H
February 8, 2008 — 11:07 pm
Yes, they do sell in bulk (at least that’s what Mum always does – I’ve never gone out and seen the truck so I don’t know if they do individual ice lollies as well).
Kris
February 8, 2008 — 11:23 pm
Heh. The ice cream van guy in the SMH article I linked to is very dismissive of “those guys that come down the street ringing a bell.” So it sounds like the truck guys are relatively new!
Jen
February 8, 2008 — 11:42 pm
Hee! Ice cream man. I remember one that was pink, bubble-gum flavoured ice cream (if you could call it that) in the shape of a foot, and the toenails were gumballs. Man, that was awesome. The ones in my neighbourhood growing up generally played either Greensleeves, or Turkey in the Straw (remembering of course, I grew up in the Deep, Deep South 😉
Tors
February 9, 2008 — 12:10 am
Must be a Sydney thing. Only ice cream van I’ve ever seen here is Home Ice Cream, and they’re awesome! “Buy in bulk and save” is their gimmick.
Kris
February 9, 2008 — 12:11 am
I think they’re vanishing. This guy’s only started hitting our neighborhood in the past few weeks. (We haven’t seen him in the four years previously.) Mostly I just see them parked in tourist areas, so it’s a novelty to have them actually drive up the block!
Kathryn
February 9, 2008 — 12:55 am
Over here in Scotland, an icecream van playing Greensleeves is out and about at the most unlikely times. For example, 10pm at night when the outside temperature is 1oC. We think it must be drugs.
Jenny
February 9, 2008 — 3:35 pm
I thought Pam was the coolest person ever when I was little because the Schwan’s man came to the house while I was there. I remember thinking someone bringing ice cream to you was pretty much the baddest thing I could comprehend.
Max
February 9, 2008 — 11:08 pm
As a fellow deep, deep Southerner, I’m here to back up “Turkey in the Straw” as the default music for most of the ice cream trucks/vans I’ve ever seen/heard.
In grad school I lived in a slightly…um, socioeconomically diverse part of town, and the number one sellers when the ice cream man came around the neighborhood seemed to be Doritos and Cheetos. I may have been the only person on my street who actually bought ice cream most of the time.
Kris
February 9, 2008 — 11:09 pm
I… have never heard of “Turkey in the Straw” before. WHAT are y’all going on about? I’m obviously going to have to search for an mp3 or something.
Frances
February 10, 2008 — 1:56 am
Kris…
I think “Turkey in the Straw” is the same tune that we learned in school as “Do your ears hang low?” (Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and thro? Can you tie ’em in a knot? Can you tie ’em in a bow?) But, “Turkey in the Straw” is traditionally played a bit faster. Does that spark anything for ya?
Khay
February 10, 2008 — 12:34 pm
Greensleves is the Mr Whippy van music. I guess it all depends if your area had a Mr Whippy van or not. I know the Turkey in the Straw music as music only and would love to hear it played al la Greensleeves style. Mr Whippy is still around but has gone out of style as more people have ice cream in their own freezer.
Max
February 10, 2008 — 1:08 pm
I just realized that no one has mentioned “The Entertainer” as another standard ice cream truck tune. Is that another Southern thing?
Kris
February 10, 2008 — 1:19 pm
Ooh, actually, I’m pretty sure I heard “The Entertainer” in Indiana a few times.
Kris
February 10, 2008 — 1:52 pm
Now that I think about it… I’m pretty sure ours mainly played “Pop Goes the Weasel.” Anybody from my family want to verify that?
Jen
February 10, 2008 — 6:26 pm
“The Entertainer” and “Pop Goes the Weasel” – I definitely remember those! And “Turkey in the Straw” isn’t quite the same tune as the do your ears hang low song… man, why can’t I find an mp3 anywhere? 😉