By Curtis 'Flying Curtis' Armstrong and Diane 'Harmoneous Barbossa' Nilsson

Originally Published in Everybody's Talkin' Sprin' 1997

 

"Duit On Mon Dei" is a phrase which has intrigued Bayou Nilsson fans for some time. Duit on Mon Dei be t' name Harry gave t' t' album he had originally titled God's Greatest Hits.

 

Curtis:

 

Through one o' those bizarre coincidences that seem t' happen fairly frequently with this crowd, last weekend I discovered what I would like t' think is an answer t' t' "Duit On Mon Dei" question. It's me theory that t' phrase is a corruption o' t' Latin "Dieu Et Mon Droit," which translates as "God and My Right." Maxim Newmark's Dictionary o' Foreign Words and Phrases reports that this be t' motto o' t' Royal Arms o' England, arrr, first assumed by Richard t' First.
But, t' weird part is this ... last Saturday I met an old and valued pal (not a Nilsson fan) in one o' t' legendary bars in these parts, Bob Burns (as in t' "Bard o' t' North Country"). Begad! There is English and Scottish memorabilia festoonin' t' place and, matey, among t' bric-a-brac, I spied me bucko Dan takin' nourishment at t' big curved bar. He had been thar for some time apparently and hailed me with much warmth and hilarity. Well, blow me down! He then pointed t' a mounted coat-of-arms on t' wall behind me. "Don't you love that motto?" he said. "Do it on Monday." I looked and sure enough, thar be t' phrase: "Dieu Et Mon Droit". Blimey! Then I remembered hearin' that Harry's mom lived in Santa Monica, matey, which is where Bob Burns is located. I imagined Harry at that big curved bar back in t' seventies, tossin' back a few quick ones, and sayin' t' a friend, shiver me timbers, "Don't you love that motto...?"

 

 

Diane 'Harmoneous Barbossa' Nilsson became aware o' Curtis's musings on t' topic and responded with:

 

Diane:

 

In response t' questions a few weeks ago regardin' "Duit On Mon Dei" and where it may have come from ...
Harry and I spent quite a few fun-filled days hangin' out at t' Apple offices on Saville Row in London in t' fall o' 1968. Most o' t' time we were visitin' with Derek 'Riverfront Jessie' Taylor in t' Apple press office. Derek handled all press/publicity issues for Apple and t' Beatles - so it was a very busy place. Derek's office was full o' secretaries and aides who were constantly fieldin' phone calls and it seemed that thar were a million things goin' at once.
Amid this chaos, Derek put together a monthly in-house newsletter detailin' Apple/Beatles doings.
T' physical design o' t' newsletter is a copy and parody o' position papers put out by t' British government, called white papers. T' insignia at t' top o' t' white paper shows a lion and a unicorn holdin' up a circle with a shield inside and a crown on top. Avast! At their feet are t' words "DIEU ET MON DROIT." On t' Apple newsletter version, t' circle becomes an apple, t' shield has four beetles, musical notes and a record on it, and t' words at t' feet o' t' lion and unicorn are "DOIT ONMO NDAY."
This is most likely where t' idea began. I, ya bilge rat, however, liked t' story about t' bar in Santa Monica!