Lyr Req: The Ice Fishing Song (Garrison Keillor)

Subject: Greenland Whale Fisheries parody
From:
Date: 29 Apr 99 - 10:26 AM

A month or so ago, I heard a great parody of "Greenland Whale Fisheries" on Prarie Home Companion; it was about a couple of guys ice fishing with dynamite. If anyone has the words to this, I'd greatly appreciate a copy.

Thanks,

Mike Byers

Subject: RE: Greenland Whale Fisheries parody
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Apr 99 - 03:58 PM

Hi, Mike - It's a parody by Garrison Keillor. If you have RealAudio, you can listen to it if you click here.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: THE ICE FISHING SONG (Garrison Keillor)
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 29 Apr 99 - 09:00 PM

Mike,

Just for the fun of it:

THE ICE FISHING SONG
(to the tune of the Greenland Whale Fisheries)
Garrison Keillor

When I was young I would tell tall tales,
And lying was my sport.
But I haven't told a lie,
Since the middle of last week,
When the boys and I went "nort", brave boys, when the boys and I went "nort"

We left after work, Ernie, Al and me,
A week ago Tuesday day.
We passed that beer and the cooler in the trunk,
Threw the midgie bore away, brave boys, threw the midgie bore away.

We reached the lake at ten o'clock at night,
And drove out on the ice.
And we opened up the shack and we fired up the stove,
And passed that bottle twice, brave boys, and passed that bottle twice.

The fishing hole was full of ice,
And it was late at night.
And Ernie reached into his tackle box,
To get his dynamite, brave boys, to get his dynamite.

He lit the fuse and he threw it down,
And then he yelled and cursed.
And he cried, "Oh no, I've made a bad mistake,"
"That was our bratwurst, brave boys, that was our bratwurst,"

We looked in the hole where the bratwurst sank,
And a giant fish leaped out,
A thirty pound walleye the size of a dog,
With the bratwurst in his mouth, brave boys, with the bratwurst in his mouth.

And Ernie passed the bottle once again,
To celebrate the catch.
And he reached in his tackle box to get him a cigar,
And I saw him light the match, brave boys, and I saw him light the match.

That cigar blew Ernie into East Glenforks,
And Al to West Duluth.
And since my life was spared that day,
I resolved to tell the truth, brave boys, I resolved to tell the truth.

I could have the place name wrong, sounds like East Glenforks. Minnesoteans may wish to correct me.

And Joe, great link, you da Mastah!

Enjoy the song!

Subject: RE: Greenland Whale Fisheries parody
From: Trapper
Date: 29 Jan 01 - 01:12 PM

It should be "through Bemidji" in the second verse and "East Grand Forks" in the last verse.

- Al (A Minna-SO-dan!)

Subject: RE: Greenland Whale Fisheries parody
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 10:02 AM

I've enjoyed Garrison's parody so much that I've adapted it from Minnesota to Maine (without his permission). I had a lot of fun last evening singing it to my brother-in-law whose fishing buddies are named in this version of the song.

The Ice Fishing Song-2

(Parody by Garrison Keillor ©1999
Adapted by Charlie Ipcar 1/20/03
Tune: The Greenland Whale Fisheries)

When I was young I'd tell tall tales,
And lying was my sport,
But I've told no lie since late last week,
When the gang and I went "nort", me boys,
The gang and I went "nort."

The gang was Fitzie, Mike and me,
We met the break of day;
We packed the booze and the cooler in the back,
In our kingcab tore away, me boys,
In our kingcab tore away.

We reached the lake after dark,
And drove out on the ice;
We opened up the shack and we fired up the stove,
And passed that bottle twice, me boys,
Passed that bottle twice.

The fishing hole was thick with ice,
And it was late at night;
So Fitzie reached into his tackle box,
To get his dynamite, me boys,
To get his dynamite.

He lit the fuse, threw it down the hole,
And then he stamped and cursed;
"Cripes, I've made a foolish mistake,
That was our old bratwurst, me boys,
That was our old bratwurst."
Then from the hole where the bratwurst sank,
A giant fish leaped out,
A thirty-pound trout the size of a dog,
With the bratwurst in his mouth, me boys,
The bratwurst in his mouth.

So we passed the bottle once again,
To celebrate the catch;
Then Fitzie reached down for a cigar,
And I saw him light the match, me boys,
I saw him light the match.

That cigar blew Fitzie over Isle au Haut,
And Mike to the Bay of Booth;
But since my life was spared that day,
I'm here to tell the truth, me boys,
Yes, I'm here to tell the truth.

Tis the season for ice fishing!
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Greenland Whale Fisheries parody
From: Mr Happy
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 10:54 AM

And here's another version:

THE LOSING OF THE WHALE(D. Nudds & C. Sugden: Kipper Family)

In eighteen hundred and forty-six
On March the fourteenth day,
I bought myself a calendar
For we were bound away.
We sailed from tacky guano
And followed the seabird's flight,
For we were hunting whales, me boys,
At least we thought we might.

We sailed for three long days and nights
But saw no whales at all.
The mate went up the mast to look
While our captain went up the wall.

We sailed for four more days and nights
And still we had no luck;
Till a whale come up for air, me boys
And the mate cried, "Thar she suck!"

The whale she lashed her tail, me boys,
One man on deck took a glancing blow;
But not so bad as our captain
For he was wounded down below.

Now the first to throw his harpoon out
Was Valparaiso Luke.
He hit her in the tail, me boys,
But they said that was a fluke.

Now we went in with our blubber hooks
And the whale sunk down below;
We caused her for to vomit, boys,
And the mate cried, "Thar she throw!"

Now we hauled that whale on deck, me boys,
Amid many hearty cries;
But that fish it was so huge, me boys,
That our vessel did capsize.

And our captain with remorse was filled
Likewise with water too;
"I'll no more hunt the whale," he cried,
"If that's the last thing I don't do!"

"I'll never more hunt that whale," he cried,
And what's more, he was right.
For the heavy seas bore down on him
And carried him from our sight.

And soon likewise we all were drowned
None lived to tell the tale;
Not one of us survived to tell
Of how we lost that whale.

Subject: RE: Greenland Whale Fisheries parody
From: Ron Olesko
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 12:55 PM

.... and of course there is Paul Kaplan's classic "Call Me the Whale".