Lyr Add: Long Tall Texan (Henry P Strzelecki)

Subject: Lyr Add: Chad Mitchell Trio - Long Tall Texan
From: Jason Xion Wang
Date: 10 Dec 07 - 10:01 AM

By the time John Denver is the leader singer of the trio, not Chad Mitchell.

Long Tall Texan
(Henry P Strzelecki - as recorded by the Mitchell Trio)

I'm a long tall Texan, I ride a big white horse
He rides through Texas on big, white horse
I'm a long tall Texan, I ride a big white horse
He rides through Texas on a big, white horse
People look at me and say
Hurrah, Hurrah, is that your horse?
Yeah

I'm a long tall Texan, I wear a ten-gallon hat
He rides through Texas with a ten-gallon hat
I'm a long tall Texan, I wear a ten-gallon hat
He rides through Texas wearin a ten-gallon hat
People look at me and say
Hurrah, Hurrah, is that your hat?
Yeah

I was walking down the street with my big shiny badge
Spurs jingling on my feet
When I saw a man a coming, coming with a gun, you know
I just can't be beat

Well I'm a long tall Texan, I enforce justice for the law
He rides through Texas to enforce the law
I'm a long tall Texan, I enforce justice for the law
He rides through Texas to enforce the law
People look at me and say
Hurrah, Hurrah, are you the law?
Yeah

I'm a short fat Texan, I ride a Honda one two five
He rides from Texas on a one two five
I'm a short fat Texan, I ride a Honda one two five
He rides from Texas on a one two five
People look at me and say
Oh, come on man, you're too old to be riding a thing like that!
Yeah!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chad Mitchell Trio - Long Tall Texan
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 10 Dec 07 - 11:10 AM

Thanks, but it's just not the same in pink.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chad Mitchell Trio - Long Tall Texan
From: Padre
Date: 10 Dec 07 - 06:37 PM

The Rhoen Valley Boys (an American C&W band made up of armed forces personnel from Wildflecken Kaserne) sang this every Friday night at the Stadt Cafe in Fulda in 1965 - (I was in the band!)

The song was written by Henry Strzelecki (anybody know him?) and originally recorded by Jerry Woodard in 1960. It was later covered by the Beach Boys! (1964) and a lot of others including the CMT.

Padre

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chad Mitchell Trio - Long Tall Texan
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 10 Dec 07 - 06:42 PM

Written by Henry Strzelecki (or maybe it's Strezlecki), covered by lots of people, although the Trio is the only version I've come across with the stanza about the Honda. They put it on the album, That's The Way It's Gonna Be

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chad Mitchell Trio - Long Tall Texan
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Dec 07 - 09:13 PM

Isn't this a Murray Kellum song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chad Mitchell Trio - Long Tall Texan
From: van lingle
Date: 10 Dec 07 - 10:08 PM

The Kingsmen had a hit with it, I believe.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chad Mitchell Trio - Long Tall Texan
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Dec 07 - 03:54 AM

On the English folkscene Peabody and McNulty used to sing this. Best recorded version I heard was by Sleepy La Beef.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Chad Mitchell Trio - Long Tall Texan
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Dec 07 - 07:39 AM

LONG TALL TEXAN was written by Henry P Strzelecki. Murry [sic] Kellum had a big hit with it in 1963. It has been covered by The Beach Boys, Les Black, The Kingsmen, Sleepy LaBeef, Lyle Lovett, The Mitchell Trio, The Pyramids, Conway Twitty, and several others.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Tall Texan (Mitchell Trio)
From: Jason Xion Wang
Date: 19 Jul 12 - 07:23 AM

This is stupid. I can't understand or believe how I would used the awful pink for this song years earlier.

And that's not a Chad Mitchell Trio song. The original version was by Murry Kellum I believe.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Tall Texan (Mitchell Trio)
From: open mike
Date: 19 Jul 12 - 12:16 PM

Jerry Woodard-"Long Tall Texan"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsZuYkMn_aE

Lyle Lovett - Long Tall Texan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtGdJQrnnkQ

Murry Kellum - Long Tall Texan (1963)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRQJTFh4V2w

Beach Boys - Long tall texan
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1j2lv_beach-boys-long-tall-texan_music

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Tall Texan (Mitchell Trio)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 20 Jul 12 - 09:29 AM

Thanks for the links, open mike.

I heard John Denver sing this. Instead of:

   Hurrah, Hurrah, are you the law?
he sang:

   Hurrah, hooray, are y'all the law?
============
I think it's a definite improvement. I consider the Mitchell verse about the Honda to be twee and best forgotten.

I liked the Murry Kellum version best. It shows the correct way to pronounce 'hoss.' Most of us will have to practice that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Tall Texan (Henry P Strzelecki)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Jul 12 - 03:04 PM

I always thought it was, "Oh rah, oh rah, is you the law?" Pronounced more like that, anyhow....

-Joe-

Subject: ADD Version: Long Tall Texan (Henry P Strzelecki)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Jul 12 - 03:16 PM

Here's my transcription of the 1963 recording by Murry Kellum [seems to be the original recording]:

LONG TALL TEXAN
(Henry P Strzelecki)

Giddyup! Giddyup!

Well, I'm a long tall Texan, I ride a big white horse
He rides from Texas on big, white horse
Yes, I'm a long tall Texan, I ride a big white horse
He rides from Texas on big, white horse
Well, people look at me and say
Hurrah, Hurrah, is that your horse?
Yeah
He rides from Texas on big, white horse

Well, I'm a long tall Texan, I wear a ten-gallon hat
He rides from Texas wearin' a ten-gallon hat
Yes, I'm a long tall Texan, I wear a ten-gallon hat
He rides from Texas wearin' a ten-gallon hat
Well, people look at me and say
Hurrah, Hurrah, is that your hat?
He rides from Texas wearin' a ten-gallon hat

     Well, I was walking down the street with my shiny badge
     My spurs jingling at my feet
     I seen a man a-coming, coming with a gun and...
     I just can't be beat.

Well I'm a long tall Texan, I enforce justice for the law
He rides from Texas to enforce the law
Yes, I'm a long tall Texan, I enforce justice for the law
He rides from Texas to enforce the law
Well, people look at me and say
Hurrah, Hurrah, is you the law?
Yeah
He rides from Texas to enforce the law


[in the chorus/echo part, I hear "he rides from Texas," but it could be "he rides through Texas" in places]


Other songs by Henry P Strzelecki (on record at songfile.com):

I'm Gonna Walk (Right Out of Your Life)
I Hate Me for Hurting You
Home Made Music and Home Made Words
Levee Walking

My favorite recording of this song is the one by Lyle Lovett and Randy Newman, on Lovett's Road to Ensenada album.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Tall Texan (Henry P Strzelecki)
From: pdq
Date: 20 Jul 12 - 03:23 PM

He may not be a household name, but Henry Strzelecki is the greatest electric bass player in Nashville history.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Tall Texan (Henry P Strzelecki)
From: GUEST,justme
Date: 22 May 13 - 06:17 PM

Henry Strzelecki is my dad. He wrote this song on a restaurant napkin when he was a teenager and first cut it with a group he was in at the time called The Four Flickers (also called The Four Counts). When he sang it, he said "uh-ruh,uh-ruh" not hurrah. It's meant to be a nonsense phrase - something like you'd say when stalling for time or trying to think of what you'd like to say (similar to something like "ummm")