Lyr Req: Washington, Washington (Vinikow, Hughes)

Subject: Washington State Calypso Song
From: Seth
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 08:50 PM

I wonder if any one knows the complete words to a song we used to sing when I lived in Washington (state). To a calypso beat: Washington, Washington, Come to the land of the Rhododendron We've got the geoduck,the mountain, Rain The apple, the volcano, and the hydroplane..... If you heard it, or know it, it sure would be a treat to get all of it

Seth from China

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington State Calypso Song
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 10:48 PM

"Washington, Washington" is in Linda Allen's book "Washington Songs and Lore," which I have. Instead of giving you half-remembered words, I'll look it up tonight and post the words this weekend, unless somebody like Mary G beats me to it. I'm particularly fond of that book, because Linda included my little "Apple Maggot Quarantine Round" -- one of the very few of my songs that have actually been published!

Seth, you've certainly got me beat for distance moved away from the Northwest! And you do have the chorus right, except I think it's "the mountain range". And the big clam whose name sounds like "gooeyduck" is actually spelled "geoduck", heaven knows why.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington State Calypso Song
From: Deckman
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 10:59 PM

Mark, it's spelled "GOEDUCK" because if you spelled it any other way, nobody around here would know what the heck you were talking about! CHEERS, Bob Nelson

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington State Calypso Song
From:
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 11:48 PM

sorry..can't beat you...but I do believe the original words were the geoduck, the mountain range, the aplet and the cotlet (candies from Eastern WA) and the hydroplane. Maybe some kind of copyright problem.

all I remember..

a land devoid of the alligator, the tsetse fly the red tomato..the ...and the Irish stew whatever you don't want we don't got it too..

oh thought of more..

they built a rotunda..everybody got unda

..our founding fathers with vision clear named it after their favorite beer (Olympia..)

this is truly a very clever song.

now, that song has been going through my mind along with Rita Brown's Oregon song..I think they could be done almost overlapping.(although maybe she wouldn't like it..her song is very beautiful and the WA one is just fun...)..mg

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington State Calypso Song
From: Seth
Date: 03 Feb 01 - 03:05 PM

Oh, Thank you,thank you. Now I can go back to sleep. It's a curse to be the kind of person who wakes up at 3:30 a.m. with half a song and then and then......

Seth from China

Subject: Lyr Add: WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON (Vinikow, Hughes)
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 03 Feb 01 - 04:30 PM

Ah, here it is...turns out it wasn't in "Washington Songs and Lore" but in Linda Allen's earlier collection, "The Rainy Day Songbook."

WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON
(C) 1978 by Joseph Vinikow and Glenn Arthur Hughes

(CHORUS)

Washington, Washington
Come to the land of the rhododendron
We got the geoduck and the mountain range
The aplet and the cotlet* and the hydroplane

Over the mountains and the waters blue
The founding fathers and the mothers too
Singing, "Soon as we get off the trail
We gonna build us a zoo and a monorail." (CHORUS)

They built a great rotunda
Everybody got under
The founding fathers with vision clear
Named it after their favorite beer (CHORUS)

A major portion, to say the least
Of our fair state lies to the east
A substantial peninsula to the west
Completes the state that we love best (CHORUS)

A land devoid of the alligator
No tsetse fly and no tornado
No pyramid, no Irish stew
Whatever you got, we don't want it too (CHORUS)

A land devoid of the mango tree
Flamingo or dingo and killer bee
No pesky sunshine to spoil the view
Whatever you want, we don't got it too (CHORUS)

Tag: South of the border, down Washington way (repeat)

*This was later changed to "the apple and volcano" -- presumably after Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980.

I don't know Glenn Hughes, but Joe Vinikow is a very funny guy and very talented musician, who used to teach a class at Puget Sound Guitar Workshop (and maybe still does) called "Party Guitar."

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: Lyr Add: WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON (Vinikow, Hughes)
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 03 Feb 01 - 04:42 PM

Once more, with formatting!

WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON
(C)1978 by Joseph Vinikow and Glenn Arthur Hughes

(CHORUS)

Washington, Washington
Come to the land of the rhododendron
We got the geoduck and the mountain range
The aplet and the cotlet* and the hydroplane

Over the mountains and the waters blue
The founding fathers and the mothers too
Singing, "Soon as we get off the trail
We gonna build us a zoo and a monorail." (CHORUS)

They built a great rotunda
Everybody got under
The founding fathers with vision clear
Named it after their favorite beer (CHORUS)

A major portion, to say the least
Of our fair state lies to the east
A substantial peninsula to the west
Completes the state that we love best (CHORUS)

A land devoid of the alligator
No tsetse fly and no tornado
No pyramid, no Irish stew
Whatever you got, we don't want it too (CHORUS)

A land devoid of the mango tree
Flamingo or dingo and killer bee
No pesky sunshine to spoil the view
Whatever you want, we don't got it too (CHORUS)

Tag: South of the border, down Washington way (repeat)

*later changed to "the apple and volcano", presumably after Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980. (Aplets and Cotlets are apple- and apricot-based candies made in Seattle.)

(Yo, Max, can we have a preview button, please?)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington State Calypso Song
From: Barbara
Date: 03 Feb 01 - 09:07 PM

Mark, did you ever hear Joe and John Knowles' song "Our Love is Better Than the First Time ('cause the first time wasn't very good at all)"? I fell out of my chair I laughed so hard -- they came up with that at PSGW one year... it goes on to describe all those first time disasters -- the bra that won't unhook, the braces that do, zippers that stick, no place to go...
Anyway, thanks for posting this song, I've liked it for a long time.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington State Calypso Song
From: mousethief
Date: 03 Feb 01 - 10:48 PM

It's spelled GEODUCK. Look it up.

Proud Washingtonian since birth,
Alex

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington State Calypso Song
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 03 Feb 01 - 11:36 PM

I am pretty sure although not positive that aplets and cotlets are made in Eastern Washington. They were made from a Turkish recipe (so I heard) to use up the extra crops there...they are highly tasty. can you get them elsewhere?

mg

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington State Calypso Song
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 04 Feb 01 - 12:46 AM

You're no doubt right, Mary. I first saw them in Seattle and assumed they were local. And they are yummy. And can even be found here on the the Big Island, in finer shops (yes, we do have them! finer shops, that is).
Thanks for the support, Alex. I wasn't in the National Spelling Bee for nothin'! Of course, that was long before ginkgo deficiency reared its ugly head...

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington State Calypso Song
From: GUEST,Christina, Nate, and Jessica
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 05:53 PM

Thanks everyone. We are three local washintonians who are proud to now know this song. Keep up the good work.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington State Calypso Song
From: Stewart
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 07:43 PM

You can listen to it here
Track 1 on the CD "Songs of the Pacific Northwest"
And other songs of the PNW.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington State Calypso Song
From: GUEST,Bonnie
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 03:54 PM

LOL my teacher in 3rd grade changed up the lyrics somewhat to make it kid friendly beer became cheer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington, Washington (Vinikow, Hughes)
From: GUEST,Wastategirl
Date: 09 Oct 13 - 11:56 PM

Washington, Washington come to the land of the rhododendron we got the geoduck, and the mountain range, the applet and the cotlet and the hydroplane

They built a rotunda (clap clap) and everybody got under(it's raining) the founding fathers with vision clear named it after their favorite beer

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington, Washington (Vinikow, Hughes)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Oct 13 - 12:43 PM

I grew up there and never learned the state song. Most state anthems are pretty amateurish, as songs go. If this one is in Linda's book then it has some merit. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington, Washington (Vinikow, Hughes)
From: GUEST,Pouncy
Date: 29 Mar 15 - 02:10 AM

When I was in elementary school in Oak Harbor, we had the following first verse:

Washington, Washington
Come to the land of the rhododendron
We got the geoduck and the mountain range
The Red Delicious apple and the Boeing plane

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington, Washington (Vinikow, Hughes)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 29 Mar 15 - 03:24 PM

" In 1978, Joseph Vinikow and Glen Arthur Hughes from Fidalgo Island wrote Washington, Washington, a frivolous song they proposed as a new Washington State Song. It is to the Calypso tune of Jamaica Farewell (as sung by Harry Belafonte).

Washington, Washington,
Come to the land of the Rhododendron.
We got the geoduck and the mountain range,
The aplet and the cotlet and the hydroplane!
Chorus:
They built a great rotunda (clap, clap)
Everybody got under (It's raining!)
The founding fathers, with vision clear,
Named it after their favorite beer! "

That is from

http://www.stolaf.edu/people/hend/VictoryMusic/SongsPacificNorthwest.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Washington, Washington (Vinikow, Hughes)
From: Stewart
Date: 30 Mar 15 - 12:17 PM

Here it is, sung by Linda Allen and the Rainy Camp Chorus
at Seattle Song Circle's Rainy Camp, Camp Don Bosco in Carnation, WA, Feb. 5, 2005.
Recorded on "Songs of the Pacific Northwest"

Cheers, S. in Seattle