Lyr Add: Koo-Liger (Homer & Jethro)

Subject: Lyr Add: Kooliger the Wooden Indian
From: Jethro's friend
Date: 21 Jul 99 - 03:31 PM

Quite a while back, I posted a request for the words to Homer & Jethro's version of Kooliger. Nobody knew.

Since then, I have scratched my head real hard and I think I have remembered them right. Here it is. If anyone has corrections, correct away.

Kooliger, the Wooden Indian

Kooliger was a wooden Indian.
He didn't know what to do.
He fell in love with an Indian maid
and she was a wood 'un too.
Kooliger, eeeyooowh!
For that Indian maid his heart did pine.
But her heart was full of turpentine.

She was the daughter of Sittin' Bull,
This wooden Indian dame.
She told Kooliger that
Squatin' Heifer was her name.
Kooliger, eeeyooowh!
He loved that gal with all his heart and soul.
But he was low man on the totem pole.

Poor ol' Kooliger, he never got a kiss.
Poor ol' Kooliger, he don't know what he missed.
It isn't any wonder that his face is red.
Kooliger's got termites in his head.

Kooliger never milked the cows.
He didn't have the pull.
He just put the bucket under them
and pumped the bucket full.
Kooliger, eeeyooowh!
When the cows would see him coming they would wail,
"Here comes old icy fingers with his pail!"

Poor ol' Kooliger, he finally got a wife.
She made him shave his whiskers off
with his huntin' knife.
It isn't any wonder he ain't around today.
He shaved too close and whittled hisself away.

Subject: RE: Kooliger is back
From: Bert
Date: 21 Jul 99 - 03:34 PM

I'm surprised you're ANYONE'S friend if you sing songs like that! :-)

Seriously though, I like it.

Bert.

Subject: Lyr Add: KAW-LIGA (Hank Williams)
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Jul 99 - 03:48 PM

Hi, Bert, I know this strikes close to home and I guess it's just another example of those songs which we have to be careful with.

The song is Kaw-Liga. It is a Hank Williams/Rose Music original recorded on Sept. 23, 1952:

Kaw-liga was a wooden Indian standing by the door.
He fell in love with an Indian maiden over in the antique store.
Kaw-liga just stood there and never let it show,
So she could never answer "yes" or "no."

CHORUS: Poor ol' Kaw-liga, he never got a kiss.
Poor ol' Kaw-liga, he don't know what he missed.
Is it any wonder that his face is red?
Kaw-liga, that poor ol' wooden head.

He always wore his Sunday feathers and held a tomahawk.
The maiden wore her beads and braids and hoped some day he'd talk.
Kaw-liga, too stubborn to ever show a sign,
Because his heart was made of knotty pine.

Kaw-liga was a lonely Indian, never went nowhere.
His heart was set on the Indian maid with the coal black hair.
Kaw-liga just stood there and never let it show,
So she could never answer "yes" or "no."

And then one day a wealthy customer bought the Indian maid,
And took her, oh, so far away, but ol' Kaw-liga stayed.
Kaw-liga just stands there as lonely as can be,
And wishes he was still an old pine tree.

Subject: RE: Kooliger is back
From: Jethro's friend
Date: 21 Jul 99 - 05:24 PM

Bert and Kat may both have a point about being careful with a song.

The Kooliger version I posted was the first I heard from my older brother's collection back in the 50's. However, I was recently and shortly married to a woman who had only heard the original Hank Williams version. When I sang the Homer & Jethro version, she took offense. Said I was desecrating Kaw-liga. Now she's gone.

I dunno. Maybe it's presumptious of me to say I'm Jethro's friend too.

Subject: Lyr Add: PORE OL' KOO-LIGER (Homer & Jethro)
From: Gene
Date: 21 Jul 99 - 07:13 PM

Guess I missed the original post. H&J are long-time favorites of mine.

PORE OL' KOO-LIGER
Recorded by: Homer & Jethro
Parody of: KAW-LIGA written by Hank Williams, Sr. & Fred Rose

Kaw-Liga was a wooden Indian, didn't know what to do.
He fell in love with an Indian maiden. She was a wood 'un too.
Kaw-Liga (Whoo!)
Loved that Indian maid with all his soul,
But he was low man on the totem pole.

She was the daughter of Sittin' Bull, this wooden Indian dame.
She told old Kaw-Liga Squattin' Heifer was her name.
Kaw-Liga, (Whoo!)
When he tried to hold her many charms,
Kaw-Liga he got splinters in his arms.

CHORUS: Poor ol' Kaw-Liga, finally got a kiss.
Poor ol' Kaw-Liga wished that he had missed.
Is it any wonder that his face is red?
Kaw-Liga had termites in his head.

Kaw-Liga never milked the cows. He didn't have the pull.
He set a bucket under them and pumped the bucket full.
Kaw-Liga, (Whoo!)
When the cows would hear him, they would wail,
"Here comes old icy fingers with his pail!"

When he sings, Peter Cottontail the rabbit never cheers.
He takes the cotton from his tail and stuffs it in his ears.
Kaw-Liga (Whoo!)
Sprayed his throat to help his voice each day,
But all it does is keep the flies away.

CHORUS 2: Poor ol' Kaw-Liga, he finally got a wife.
She made him shave his whiskers off with his huntin' knife.
Poor ol' Kaw-Liga, he ain't around today.
He shaved too close and whittled hisself away.

SOURCE: HOMER & JETHRO - THE HUMOROUS SIDE OF COUNTRY MUSIC
1963 RCA Camden CAS-768(e)