|
09 Apr 05 - 01:04 PM (#1456302) Subject: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: Ferret Can any one help please, I have been trying to find the lyrics to "The Ballad of Cat Ballou" and all I have been able to find is below, but it seems to be incomplete. I have just been watching the film of the same name on T.V. and the song is much longer, has any one got the rest of the lyric or know were I can get them I tried the nat king coal sites but no luck. Well now friends just lend an ear For you're now about to hear The ballad of Cat Ballou It's a song that's newly made And Professus and The Shade And the Sunrise Kid are singin' it for you Cat Ballou, Cat Ballou It's a hangin' day in Wolf City, Wyomin' Wolf City, Wyomin', eighteen ninety four They're gonna drop Cat Ballou Through the gallows floor She killed a man in Wolf City, Wyomin' Wolf City, Wyomin', killed a man it's true And that is why they're a-hangin' Hangin' Cat Ballou She has the smile of an angel (Fights like the Devil) The eyes of an angel (Bites like the Devil) The face of an angel (I say she's the Devil) (She's mean and evil through and through) Cat Ballou, Cat Ball-ou-ou-ou She's mean and evil through and through With her outlaw band they're now tellin' a story Now tellin' a story how she rode the plain The wildest gal in the We-est Since Calamity Jane And today's the day that she's goin' to glory She's goin' to glory for the way she sinned They'll be a-speedin' her soul On a wayward wind She has the smile of an angel (Fights like the Devil) The eyes of an angel (Bites like the Devil) The face of an angel (I say she's the Devil) (She's mean and evil through and through) Cat Ballou (Cat Ballou) Cat Ball-ou-ou-ou (Cat Ballou) She's mean and evil through and through Cat Ballou, Cat Ball-ou-ou-ou She's mean and evil through and through Many thanks All the best ferret. |
|
09 Apr 05 - 01:53 PM (#1456340) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: Don Firth I would suggest checking your local public library (free) or Blockbuster or Hollywood Video (gotta rent it) and see if they have a video of the movie. Then you can find it on the soundtrack and copy the words. As I recall, the song was sung a few verses at a time at various places in the movie. The internet movie data base reviewer (CLICKY) doesn't rate it very highly (5 stars out of a possible ten), but I thought it was a riot. Lotsa fun! The story goes that when Lee Marvin (Kid Shelleen) saw the movie, he was horrified. He was convinced that after that performance, no one would ever take him seriously, as a serious actor again. And then he won an Oscar as Best Actor for his bravura performance as the drunken gunfighter. The sight-gag of Kid Shelleen (passed out) and his horse (cross-legged and patiently waiting) leaning against a wall was hilarious! Politics has nothing to do with it. I'd pay good money just to watch Jane Fonda breath. Don Firth |
|
09 Apr 05 - 05:05 PM (#1456520) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: Tannywheeler Also more success might be had if you checked Nat King Cole sights. king coal has different songs. For those who may not know -- that sight gag referred to was a "reproduction" of a famous painting in the Western genre, The End of the Trail. One of my favorite movie memories. "Happy Birthday, dear Frankie." "I'll drink to that." "Never seen a man get through a day so fast." and the montage of Kid Shelleen's cleanup/battle prep. Oh, the wonderfulness of it. Tw |
|
09 Apr 05 - 09:13 PM (#1456673) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: Peace Every site I've been to posts the same words you have above. |
|
09 Apr 05 - 11:17 PM (#1456762) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: Ferret There are no blockbusters near me and our video shop has not got it as it came out in 1965. (I cant see why not is hilarious). As for the other sites, Yes that's the problem I found. Thanks for looking but I was hopping that some one might have it. All the best ferret |
|
10 Apr 05 - 02:21 PM (#1457288) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: JohnInKansas Our local "dinner theater" did Cat Balou recently, but I didn't see any reviews of how well it came off. As to Lee Marvin's oscar, he got a lot of extra credit for the horse's performance, which was exceptional. Admitting that it's not really an intellectual challenge, Cat Balou is one of a few older movies that we might rerun when we're tired of thinking too hard, and the song is pretty "catchy." We'd probably rather watch "The Villain" but don't have a good copy of it. John |
|
10 Apr 05 - 06:25 PM (#1457505) Subject: Lyr Add: BALLAD OF CAT BALLOU (David, Livingston) From: Ferret I've managed to find a bit more of it but I think there is still a bit more out there. BALLAD OF CAT BALLOU Words by Mack David and Music by Jerry Livingston 1 Well now friends just lend an ear For you're now about to hear The ballad of Cat Ballou It's a song that's newly made And Professus and The Shade And the Sunrise Kid are singin' it for you Cat Ballou, Cat Ballou 2 It's a hangin' day in Wolf City, Wyomin' Wolf City, Wyomin', eighteen ninety four They're gonna drop Cat Ballou (Right) Through the gallows floor 3 (Well) She killed a man in Wolf City, Wyomin' Wolf City, Wyomin', killed a man it's true And that is why they're a-hangin' (They're) Hangin' Cat Ballou 4 With her outlaw band they're now tellin' a story Now tellin' a story how she rode the plain The wildest gal in the West Since Calamity Jane Chorus. She has the smile of an angel (She) Fights like the Devil The eyes of an angel (She fights like the Devil) or (Bites like the Devil) The face of an angel I say she's the Devil (She's mean and evil through and through) Cat Ballou, Cat Ball-ou-ou-ou She's mean and evil through and through 5 And today's the day that she's goin' to glory She's goin' to glory for the way she sinned They'll be a-speedin' her soul On a wayward wind 6 Then there came to town A gun deadly and frightening A gun quicker than lightning The fastest gun you've seen It was the gun in the hand of Steely Kid Sheleen. 7 Just one look at him And folks starting to shake Wild, wild as a snake Proud and fierce and mean There was no man who was tougher As tough as Kid Sheleen. Chorus. He had the eyes of a killer As cold as the devil The look of a killer The look of the devil The face of a killer That man was the devil Just wild and ornery and mean Kid Sheleen, Kid Sheleen. The fastest gun you've ever seen 8 Then she road away Just to where now was a mystery But Cat roamed into history Lent (?) her legend rule She was the queen of the outlaws Her highness Cat Balou Chorus. She has the smile of an angel (She) Fights like the Devil The eyes of an angel (She fights like the Devil) or (Bites like the Devil) The face of an angel I say she's the Devil (She's mean and evil through and through) 9 Cat Balou, Cat Balou And now the story is all through Cat Balou, Cat Balou Say farewell to Cat Balou Cat Ballou Cat Ball-ou-ou-ou She's mean and evil through and through Cat Ballou, Cat Ball-ou-ou-ou She's mean and evil through and through ------------------------------------------ "Admitting that it's not really an intellectual challenge, " yer but we all need to veg out some times, and it's a good one for that. "and the song is pretty "catchy." when ever i see this film it take's day's to get the song out of my head. all the best ferret |
|
11 Apr 05 - 05:46 PM (#1458365) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: PoppaGator Nat "King" Cole a cowboy folksinger, with banjo slung over his shoulder, was something to see. Who was his duet partner? Stubby Kaye of "Guys and Dolls" fame? I remember only that he was a short heavyset white guy, looked something like Lou Costello but I'm sure it wasn't him. |
|
11 Apr 05 - 09:26 PM (#1458552) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: Rapparee It was Stubby Kaye. Cole, Kay, and Marvin WERE the show. I happen to like the sequence where Kid Sheleen aims at a target on the side of the barn and hits the weathervane on top -- "He did it! He missed the barn!" says Pa Ballou. About the only Jane Fonda movie I enjoy. |
|
12 Apr 05 - 04:46 AM (#1458775) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: Peace I thought the horse was pretty good, too. |
|
12 Apr 05 - 06:18 AM (#1458830) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: RangerSteve "Kid, your eyes, their all blood shot" "You oughta see 'em from my side". There seems to be some historical background to Cat Ballou. A woman named Ann Bassett from Utah, kicked out of an all-girls school as a kid and eventually became a school teacher (Cat graduated a lady's finishing school with intentions of teaching), Ann's family had problems with a large cattle corporation that wanted her family to sell their land, as opposed to the railroad in the movie. Ann's boyfriend was killed by the huge corporation, as was Cat's father. Ann became a cattle rustler, killing the corp's cattle whenever she found them. She was arrested twice, but was found not guilty once and freed by a hung jury the other time. Having been courted by Butch Cassidy before the cattle rustling business started, she left Utah and reunited with Butch in Texas. She drops off the map at this point, and Etta Place comes into being. Butch, Etta and Sundance go to Bolivia, Etta eventually returns, drops off the map, and Ann shows up again in Utah, marries and becomes respectable, dying in the 1950's. She's buried in an unmarked grave. Recent computer analyses of photos of Ann and Etta show that they were almost certainly the same woman. OK, school's over. Go back to goofing off. Steve |
|
12 Apr 05 - 08:17 AM (#1458929) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: The Fooles Troupe This and "The Hallelujah Trail" are two of the best Humourous Musical Westerns ever made. And then "F Troop" took the piss out of them all.... |
|
12 Apr 05 - 11:39 AM (#1459091) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: clueless don Rapaire, I thought the character who said "He did it! He missed the barn!" was the young man (played by Michael Callan?) who had eyes for Cat (perhaps the Dwayne Hickman character had eyes for her as well.) Probably not an important point, to be sure. Don |
|
12 Apr 05 - 06:43 PM (#1459475) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: RangerSteve I thought it was the Indian who said that line. |
|
13 Apr 05 - 07:05 AM (#1459826) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: The Fooles Troupe Do we all agree that it wasn't the horse? |
|
13 Apr 05 - 08:44 AM (#1459885) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: Rapparee Could have been. Could have been anyone. I just love the line. Another historical note: Robert Leroy Parker was born into a good Mormon family, one of several kids. He grew up on the ranch/farm, but left it to pursue a new life as "Butch Cassidy," a name he took from an outlaw he rode with before he went on his own. I guess it's better to talk about Butch Cassidy than the outlaw Bobby Parker. Just another Utah Boy who made good.... |
|
14 Apr 05 - 03:34 AM (#1460751) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: Mark Cohen Speaking of Stubby Kaye, I have a vague memory (most of my memories are vague these days, it seems) of a TV game show on which Stubby was the host or co-host. The contestants walked along a giant game board, as if they were the game pieces. One of the props was a jail cell with flexible bars. Does that ring any bells for anyone? I remember my sister and I made our own version of the game for somebody's birthday party. I also still remember one of the questions, a musical one. The contestant was asked if this was a correct line from a song: "Grab your coat, and get your hat, leave the baby on the doorstep..." Aloha, Mark |
|
14 Apr 05 - 03:38 PM (#1461368) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad Of Cat Ballou From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca The movie was based on a book by Roy Chanslor. I had read the book several years before I saw the movie. Found the book to be quite good in fact. In fact the book was a serious piece of Western Fiction, but turned into a comedy by the goons in MovieLand! I urge you to go check on the book's availability at your local library. |
|
17 Apr 05 - 09:39 PM (#1463949) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Cat Ballou From: Jim Dixon Mark Cohen: The TV game show you have in mind was called Shenanigans. |
|
17 Apr 05 - 11:41 PM (#1464009) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Cat Ballou From: Mark Cohen Thanks, Jim, I do remember that...and that site has some wonderful clips. It also reminded me of the other show that I was confusing Shenanigans with in my mind: Video Village. That's the one that had the jail cell and the more adult questions. Apparently the whole show was one long commercial for Milton Bradley toys and games. Funny, I didn't notice that in 1964... Turning this back to music, if you go to the "TV Party" site Jim linked to, and click on the link to the commercial for Easy Money and Racko (remember those?), there's some interesting old C&W-style fiddle and banjo. I wouldn't be surprised if we'd recognize the names of the musicians. Aloha, Mark |
|
18 Apr 05 - 10:10 PM (#1464867) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Cat Ballou From: annamill "Oooooo...a regular Tintoretto"... I'm pretty sure it was the young Indian fellow that Frank was always speaking yiddish to, that said "He did it! He missed the barn!". But it could have been the horse. Marvin also played his brother, the mean gunslinger. Also a great portrayal. Lee Marvin was a plumber in Woodstock, NY and as the story goes, his mother came over to my mother-in-law's house to watch him get the Academy Award. She didn't own a TV. I met him once in Deany's, a well-known hangout place for the uppercrust in Woodstock. I was sitting at the bar, when I turned around and there he was, right next to me. I was too flabbergasted to speak. I slowly moved away. My mother-in-law sat down next to him and proceeded to bend his ear for the rest of the night. She was uppercrust and he was respectful I guess. A really nice person. Mom liked to hit the sauce a bit in those days. I love this movie. Annamill |
|
19 Apr 05 - 02:04 PM (#1465527) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Cat Ballou From: GUEST,michael1951 RangerSteve mentions the possible "historical background" to Cat Ballou, but as far as the movie itself was concerned it was actually based on a novel of the same name by Roy Chanslor (who also wrote a novel called "Johnny Guitar" which was the basis for the movie of the same name starring Joan Crawford, Mercedes McCambridge, and Sterling Hayden). Believe it or not, Chanslor's novel is actually serious! It's a real soapy melodrama. I've never counted all the verses of the "Ballad" in the novel itself, but it's got to be a couple dozen or more. Here's the finale: >>There's a empty noose a-danglin', >>High upon the gallows tree, >>But Cat Ballou's a-ridin', >>With her true love wild and free! Roy Chanslor. The best proof that the book isn't always as good as the movie. |
|
19 Apr 05 - 03:47 PM (#1465640) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Cat Ballou From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Well, I certainly enjoyed the book much more than I enjoyed the movie. Except for Nat King Cole's participation it wasn't that memorable for me. |
|
29 Dec 12 - 06:19 AM (#3458623) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Cat Ballou From: Shimbo Darktree Ferret ... I have done this research recently for a theme night at a folk club. Now, now ... don't start on the "what is folk" track - it won't help. I combined movie words with the released song, and inserted a verse of my own where I thought it provided continuity which you could otherwise only get from the movie. The fifth line of the first verse may be " ... Professor Sam the Shade ..." - don't ask me what it means! Verse six, last line - "steel-eyed Kid Sheleen"? This is getting too hard. I don't feel justified in posting all my words, because it is a mixture. But if anyone wants them, let me know at iclarke@bigpond.net.au and I'll send them by return. Shimbo |
|
29 Dec 12 - 01:17 PM (#3458770) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Cat Ballou From: Charley Noble Great thread! Charley Noble |
|
29 Dec 12 - 02:34 PM (#3458800) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Cat Ballou From: JohnInKansas We've been dumping old VHS tapes and replacing what was interesting enough to care about with DVDs (mainly to save storage space). Cat Ballou is one that showed up recently at Barnes (in the $9 bin), so it apparently is still in circulation, and possibly cheaper to buy than to rent(?) if you happen on a copy. There seem to be lots of old movies that the dealers advertise as being "currently in stock," but we've had ZERO success with ordering ones listed (Barnes, Amazon, and others), invariably getting notice that the orders can't actually be filled. It seems you just have to prowl the shops and take what you happen to find in the bins. John |
|
30 Dec 12 - 12:20 AM (#3458998) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Cat Ballou From: Shimbo Darktree Very true, John ... that's how I got Cat Ballou. Although I have found that some old ones are available if you search, and if you don't care how much folding green stuff you part with. About a year ago, I wanted a copy of McCabe & Mrs Miller (because of the Leonard Cohen sound track), and I was able to get it for a reasonable price. (Personally, I don't let go of cash easily!) Thread drift? If so, my apologies. Shimbo This thread is closed because it has become a spam magnet. If you wish to add to the content contact a moderator to reopen it. ---mudelf |