Lyr Req: Drifting Vistling Snow (Ernest Iverson)

Subject: Lyr Req: Slim Jim Iverson ,Drifting Vistling Snow
From: open mike
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 06:06 PM

In a previous thread (Nikolina)
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=21946&messages=9
this artist and song were mentioned:
Slim Jim Iverson ,Drifting Vistling Snow
I am starting a new thread about this
www.pavekmuseum.org/Iverson.htm
i see a reference to this on this page:
http://www.mrgosh.com/playlist2004.html
this song appears to have been included in the Dr. Demento show Dec. 16, 2007 http://dmdb.org/cgi-bin/plinfo.pl?drd07.1216.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Slim Jim Iverson ,Drifting Vistling S
From: open mike
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:54 PM

re-requesting this....for a person who posted in the Nikolina thread.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Slim Jim Iverson ,Drifting Vistling Snow
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 08:02 AM

I'm not familiar with the song, but based on the title, I have a hunch it's a parody of THE SHIFTING WHISPERING SANDS.

Subject: Lyr Add: DRIFTING VISTLING SNOW (Ernest Iverson)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Feb 10 - 06:29 PM

Yes, it does seem to be a parody of SHIFTING WHISPERING SANDS

Here's my transcription from the recording at YouTube:

[I have not attempted to reproduce the Scandinavian accent. (Despite living in Minnesota for 40 years, I have never learned to distinguish between Swedish and Norwegian accents; they sound alike to me.)]


DRIFTING VISTLING SNOW
As sung by Slim Jim and the Westerners with the Honeytones.

('Twas a cold December evening and the wind began to blow,
And soon ev'rything was covered by the drifting whistling snow.)

[SPOKEN:] I found the valley of the drifting whistling snow between two great big snow-banks when I opened my door next morning, and for hours and hours I wandered aimlessly through the snow seeking the answers to the many questions that was racing through my feeble brain: Where was everything? Where was the sidewalk? Where was my driveway? My ... (?) At last I was all pooped out, so I took a chew of snus* and stretched my head and wondered where to go. Then all at once I realized I was a prisoner here in the valley of the drifting whistling snow.

[SUNG:] And my wife she whispered to me: "I got to go to Ladies' Aid.
Shovel out that old jalopy." And she handed me the spade.

Now the settlers and the miners fought those crazy Navajos,
But I tell you that was nothing like the drifting whistling snow.

So I took my scoop and started where that old jalopy stood,
And after endless hours of shoveling snow, all I saw was just the hood.

Then the snow began to whistling and the wind began to blow,
And my jalopy still is resting neath the drifting whistling snow.

Now I left my old snow shovel lying there upon the snow
While I went in the house to dry my hands and warm my frozen toes.

While I was gone, the snow-bank began to grow and grow.
Now my shovel too is resting neath the drifting whistling snow.
(The drifting whistling snow.)

[* snus (pronounced snoose) = snuff]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drifting Vistling Snow (Ernest Iverson)
From: open mike
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 03:47 AM

this might be all too familiar to many these days@!
thanks for this, Jim!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drifting Vistling Snow (Ernest Iverso
From: Ron Davies
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 10:08 PM

"Where was my driveway?...". I'm pretty sure the next phrase is "My old yalopy".

My wife and I just love this song. I have it on tape from years ago --from the Dick Spottswood show (DC public radio program)--and we listen to it all the time in the winter.

As Open Mike notes, it was clearly the soundtrack for this winter.

And the other song on YouTube with it is also a charmer.   Are any of Slim Jim's songs on CD?I'd sure buy one--just for "Vistling Snow"--anything else would be a bonus. And I'll bet there are plenty of good ones.