A song to bring back memories...

p_p_man

The 'Euro' European
Joined
Feb 18, 2001
Posts
24,253
of my teens...


Jimmy Driftwood's Song:
"The Battle of New Orleans"


Jimmy Driftwood put words to music to help students learn about historical events. The song, the "The Battle of New Orleans," is about a battle in the War of 1812. Mr. Driftwood was a high school principal and history teacher. From the time he was a little boy, he loved music. He loved to sing, play instruments and write songs. To help his students learn about this battle, he wrote the song The Battle of New Orleans. It was one of the biggest selling hits in 1959.

Driftwood wrote hundreds of verses to the song. Because records are only two to three minutes long, he picked out his favorite ones to be recorded.

He died on Sunday 12 July 1998 in Timbo, Arkansas.



The Battle of New Orleans
Music and lyrics by Jimmy Driftwood




In 1814 we took a little trip
along with Colonel Jackson
down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and
we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British
in the town of New Orleans.


We fired our guns
and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many
as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and
they began to runnin' on
down the Mississippi
to the Gulf of Mexico.


We looked down the river
and we seed the British come.
And there must have been a hundred
of'em beatin' on the drum.
They stepped so high and
they made the bugles ring.
We stood by our cotton bales
and didn't say a thing.


We fired our guns and the
British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many
as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and
they began to runnin' on
down the Mississippi
to the Gulf of Mexico.


Old Hickory said
we could take 'em by surprise
If we didn't fire our muskets
til we looked 'em in the eye
We held our fire til
we seed their faces well.
then we opened up with squirrel guns
And really gave 'em ... well ~~~


We fired our guns and the
British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many
as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and
they began to runnin' on
down the Mississippi
to the Gulf of Mexico.


Yeah, they ran through the briars
and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes
where a rabbit couldn't go.
They ran so fast that the hounds
couldn't catch 'em on
down the Mississippi
to the Gulf of Mexico.


We fired our cannon til
the barrel melted down.
So we grabbed an alligator
and we fought another round.
We filled his head with cannon balls
and powdered his behind
and when we touched the powder off,
the gator lost his mind.


We fired our guns and the
British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many
as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and
they began to runnin' on
down the Mississippi
to the Gulf of Mexico.


Yeah, they ran through the briars
and they ran through the brambles
and they ran through the bushes
where a rabbit couldn't go.
they ran so fast that the hounds
couldn't catch 'em on
down the Mississippi
to the Gulf of Mexico.


Hup 2, 3, 4. Sound off 3, 4.... Hup 2, 3, 4.
Sound off 3, 4.... Hup 2, 3, 4
 
Sentimental journey

Whatever became of Johnny Horton?:confused:
 
The lyrics I've reproduced are...

Johnny Horton's, Jimmy Driftwood's lyrics are around somewhere but Horton's are the most popular mainly because he made the song into a hit, (but there was very little difference between the two).


Johnny Horton

Country Singer

He was very popular in the 50's. He died at age 35 on November 5, 1960, in an auto accident in central Texas; hit by a drunk driver. He died at 1:30 a.m. On the day he was killed, he was scheduled to meet Ward Bond of "Wagon Train" in Dallas to sign a contract to appear on the show. Ward Bond died in Dallas at noon that same day. (Source: Tumbleweed Smith, Texas historian, writer, broadcaster; from an interview with Marie Jones, Crockett, Texas, Horton's older sister.).




:cool:
 
An often parodied hit as well.

Probably the most famous of the "battle of New Orleans" parodies was by Homer & Jethro:

BATTLE OF KOOKAMONGA
Homer & Jethro

Note: This is a parody of BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS by Johhny Horton
Note: There is a falsetto voice which I designate by "F"

In nineteen and fifty-nine we took a little hike
With our scout master down to Lake Oneeganite
We took a little pizza and we took some saurkrauts
And we marched along together till we heard the girl scouts

CHORUS
We're the boys from Camp Kookamonga
Our mothers sent us here for to study nature's ways
We learned to make sparks by rubbing sticks together
But if we catch the girls then we'll set the woods ablaze

F: And I was mad because me mother sent me up here ha-ha-ha

Well we crept up to the water and we see the girls a-swimmin
There musta been a hundred of them pretty young women
They looked so fine even birds forgot to sing
We lay down in the poison oak and didn't say a thing

CHORUS

F: Hey will one of you fellas scratch my back?

Well our counselor said we could take them by surprise
If we didn't say a word till we looked them in the eyes
We kept real still and we had our eyes aglued
We saw how they were dressed they were swimming in the
Welll now...

CHORUS

Well they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
They ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go
They ran so fast even we couldn't catch them
And we can even hike all the way to Buffalo

F: Hey fellas wait for me

Well we ran right after them till everyone was pooped
So we rested for a moment and our forces we regrouped
Then we saw the girls behind some evergreens
Captured by a company of United States Marines

CHORUS

F: Aww those big guys get everything

Well they ran through the briars an they ran through the brambles
They ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go
They ran so fast even we couldn't catch them
And we can even hike all the way to Buffalo

FALSETTO CHORUS
A-rootie-toot-toot a-rootie-toot-toot
Ah we are the boys from the boy scout troop
We don't smoke and we don't chew
And we don't go with the girls that do

(fade out of calling and whooping)

tmazanec1@juno.com or Tom Mazanec to humans
 
Do you know something, well I know you do, probably several somethings.

But, this song pops in my head every so often and won't leave. Thank you now it is back again. But I don't mind, could be worse.
 
Back
Top