Lyr Req: Swede from North Dakota

Subject: Swede from North Dakota - lyrics
From: Les in MT
Date: 08 Feb 98 - 01:10 AM

I'm looking for additional verses to this homestead classic -

I bin a Swede from Nort' Dakota
Work on farmstead 'bout two yare
Tink I go to Minnesota
Take in the big Minneapolis fair

I buy me a suit, I buy me a bottle
Dress me up way out of sight
Yump on the tail of a Yim Hill wagon
Yesus Chreest, I feel for fight

I go down to Seven Corners
Where Salvation Army play
One dem vomans come to me
Dis is what dat voman say

She say "Will you work for Yesus?"
I say, "How much Yesus pay?"
She say, "Yesus don't pay nothing."
I say, "I won't work today."

I think there is another verse or two about getting back to the farmstead - anyone got them ? Thanks!

Lyrics are in the DT here: THE SWEDE FROM NORTH DAKOTA --JoeClone, 20-Nov-07.

Subject: RE: Swede from North Dakota - lyrics
From: Alice
Date: 08 Feb 98 - 11:10 AM

Great song, Les... I don't know any more of it, but thought I'd repost it towards the top.

alice in mt

Subject: RE: Swede from North Dakota - lyrics
From: Les in MT
Date: 08 Feb 98 - 02:34 PM

Alice - I heard Mark Ross sing this at the Butte Folk Festival you gave a "heads up" on a couple of weeks back. I have had the words laying around forever, but it seemed like he had a couple of other verses.

Subject: RE: Swede from North Dakota - lyrics
From: Art Thieme
Date: 18 Feb 98 - 03:07 AM

Glenn Ohrlin did it on an LP recorded live for folk club at the U. of Illinois in the 60's. Later that was issued on Puritan. A Fine album with Jock Coleman's "The Big Combine" & "The Hell-bound Train" (also the LP title).Ohrlin's "Sam Hess' Waitin' For A Train" is a highlight of this record for me also. Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Swede from North Dakota
From: open mike
Date: 03 Oct 12 - 11:07 AM

yumpin' yimminy!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Swede from North Dakota
From: Mark Ross
Date: 03 Oct 12 - 12:04 PM

The last 3 verses, as learned from Glenn Ohrlin;


I vent down to Vashington Avenue,
Dress me up all out of sight,
Got me a suit and got me a bottle.
Yumpin' Yiminy, I feel for a fight.

I voke up the very next morning,
In the town they call St.Paul,
Oh, I got an awful headache,
Gotta get some alkyhol.

Goin' back to Nort' Dakota,
Get me a yob on a farm somevhere,
goin' back to Nort' Dakota,
Oh, to Hell vith the big State Fair!

Mark Ross

Subject: Lyr Add: SWEDE FROM NORTH DAKOTA (from Joe Glazer)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Oct 12 - 12:15 PM

Here's my transcription from the recording which I heard on Spotify. I have tried to accurately represent Glazer's pronunciation; however, I can't vouch for the authenticity of Glazer's dialect.


SWEDE FROM NORTH DAKOTA
As sung by Joe Glazer on "Welcome to America: Joe Glazer Sings Songs of the American Immigrants"
Tune: "Reuben, Reuben, I've Been Thinking"

I'm a Svede from Nort Dakota, worked on a homestead for a year.
Now I'm going to Minnesota for to see the big State Fair.

I landed down in Minneapolis; dere I vent on von big spree.
Now all de Svedes in Minnesota look a little bit like me.

I vent down to Seven Corners vhere Salvation Army play.
Dere a voman come up to me; dis is vhat dat voman say:

She say, "Will you work for Yasus?" I say, "How much Yasus pay?"
She say, "Yasus don't pay nothin'." I say, "I von't vork today."

I vent down to Vashington Avenue, dress me up all out of sight.
I got me a suit and I got me a bottle; Yasus Christ, I feel for fight!

I voke up de very next morning in da town dey call Saint Paul.
I voke up vit awful headache; guess I need some alcohol.

I'm going back to Nort Dakota, get me a yob on a farm somewhere.
I'm going back to Nort Dakota, and to hell wit da big State Fair!


[Seven Corners is the name of an actual intersection in Minneapolis. Washington Avenue runs through it. The State Fair is held in a suburb of St. Paul.]

Subject: Lyr Add: I BEEN A SWEDE FROM NORTH DAKOTA
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Oct 12 - 01:04 PM

Here's another of my transcriptions from a recording I found on Spotify. I haven't seen any liner notes, but it sounds like a field recording, with hesitations and false starts by the singer, who sings unaccompanied.


I BEEN A SWEDE FROM NORTH DAKOTA
As sung by Carl Bruce on "From Sweden to America" (1996)

I been a Svede from Nort Dakota, work on da farmstead about vun year.
I go down to Minnesota yust to look on da big State Fair.

So I buy me a ticket an' I buy me a bottle, dressing up just out of sight.
Jumping Yiminy! I feel yolly, feel just like I vant to fight.

I jump on Jim Hill's … wagon, take along my alcohol.
Still vaking up de very next morning [in de city] called Saint Paul.

Valking round de street in Saint Paul, ain't seen a fella anywhere,
So I jump on streetcar to Minneapolis; bet your life dere's Svedemen dere.

Valking around in Sout' Minneapolis ,go into Billy's place for fun.
Vell, I made some yolly Svede pals to slap me on de back, say, "Good old Sven!"

I look around and I feel so funny, ain't seen dem fellas before, I tink.
But I feel folksy an' say, "Hey fellas, come … an' have a drink!"

So ve take drink an' I feel so yolly, ve begin to dance an' sing.
And I say to all Svede fellas: "I skall pay for de whole darn thing."

Then next morning I been a wake up by the fella they call "The Bull"
Him says to me … 'cause you been so awful full.

I look in my pocket; I ain't got no money; judge says: "…, you got no bail?"
All dat is left for dis here poor Swedeman is for him to lay ten days in jail.

So I go back to Nort Dakota, get a yob on farm somewhere,
And I said to all Swede fellas: "Dey can go to heck wit da big State Fair."