Lyr Req: Ole Swenson (parody of Davy Crockett)

Subject: Davy Crockett parody
From: Dawn
Date: 18 Feb 98 - 09:08 PM

I'm looking for the lyrics to a "Ballad of Davy Crockett" parody, the "Ballad of Ole Swenson". He was, of course, "A-Born in Minnesota where there's lots and lots of trees" and was "tending the bar, when he was only three", but I can't remember the rest. I beleive it was recorded (a long time ago) by Jorgy Jorgensen (spelling is mine and probably incorrect). I checked the DT and found the "Tonya Harding" version, but so far nothing for us Wisconsinites to sing across the river at our western neighbors. Any help is appreciated...Thanks!

Subject: RE: Davy Crockett parody
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 19 Feb 98 - 02:57 PM

I was at a festival in Wexford, south east Ireland last week. Among the songs was a parody of Davy Crockett singing the praises of a famous sportsman (a hurler - but don't ask me to explain that!) called Nicky Rackard, who ws in his prime when the film was released. The chorus went "Nicky, Nicky Rackard, King of the close-in free!"

It was sung by an old man in his best Sunday suit, with great animation. Magic!

Regards

Subject: RE: Davy Crockett parody
From:
Date: 19 Feb 98 - 11:24 PM

Look up Dr. Demento at: http://www.yahoo.com and request it to be played.

Subject: RE: Davy Crockett parody "OLE SWENSON"
From: GUEST,Phil
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 03:46 PM

Dawn,

Back in the late 50s I was a Boy Scout in Troop 55 in Savannah GA. Our Asst Scoutmaster was Russ Swenson fron Minn. He was stationed in GA in the Air Force. He taught us the song. As I remember it started "Born in Minnesota where the tall Swedes grow." The refrain was "Ole, Ole Swenson King of the great north woods." I think I have the words someplace. I will send them to you if I can find them.

Phil Murphy
Williamsburg, VA

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Davy Crockett parody "OLE SWENSON"
From: jeffp
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 08:16 AM

Phil, please post them here if you can. That way many of us can share them.

jeffp

Subject: RE: Davy Crockett parody "OLE SWENSON"
From:
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 08:23 PM

Born in Minnesota many years ago
Way up North where the tall trees grow
fingers like bananas and a neck like a tree
He was tending bar at the age of three
Ole, Ole swenson king of the great north woods

Ole had a sweetheart, ya indeed
Half Sioux Indian the other half Swede
The swedes all loved her, the Sioux did too
Ole called her his big Swede Sioux
Ole, etc.

There's more but this is all I can remember

Subject: RE: Davy Crockett parody "OLE SWENSON"
From: open mike
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 08:58 PM

THE TERRIBLE HODAG (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989). )
Illustrated by Lambert Davis.

This tall tale tells how Ole Swenson, a lumberjack from the far north woods, makes friends with the ferocious looking Hodag, a giant beast who has the head of an ox, feet of a bear, back of a dinosaur and tail of an alligator, and how the Hodag helps Ole Swenson and the other lumberjacks get rid of their greedy bossman.
(Stories about the Hodag have been told throughout the upper midwest for more than 100 years. In Rhinelander, Wisconsin the Hodag is the town symbol.)

Subject: RE: Davy Crockett parody "OLE SWENSON"
From: open mike
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 09:12 PM

ha! i hit the jack pot..look here:
yogi yorgesson
FYI--the specialist is based on a book about out houses!
by Stan Boreson

Subject: RE: Davy Crockett parody "OLE SWENSON"
From: Ron Davies
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 09:43 AM

Wow! What a treasure trove!   Yogi also did "Drifting Whistling Snow" didn't he? (played by Dick Spottswood--WAMU-FM) on his program every winter)

I'm definitely going to contact the compiler of the discography. Thanks so much.

Subject: RE: Davy Crockett parody "OLE SWENSON"
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Oct 04 - 08:15 PM

When he was a boy it has been said,
   he made a yo-yo from a hunk of lead,
Now Ole never shot any buffalo,

Subject: RE: Davy Crockett parody "OLE SWENSON"
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Oct 04 - 08:16 PM

(oops)
he just knocked 'em silly with his lead yo-yo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Davy Crockett parody 'Ole Swenson'
From: open mike
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 02:08 PM

transcribed from Yogi Yorgesson web site:

Ballad of Ole Swenson

[SPOKEN] You've heard the Ballad of Davy Crockett,
And you know of Paul Bunyan's fame,
But let me tell you 'bout the greatest hero of them all.
Ole Swenson was his name.

[CHORUS] Ole, Ole Swenson, king of the great north woods.

[VERSE] Born in Minnesota many years ago,
Way up there where the tall trees grow,
Fingers like bananas and a neck like a tree,
He was tending bar at the age of three....

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BALLAD OF OLE SVENSON (Yogi Yorgesson
From: GUEST,Paul F. Anderson
Date: 12 Sep 09 - 03:32 PM

You can hear this recording at the Internet Archive:


BALLAD OF OLE SVENSON
(Harry Stewart)
As recorded by "Yogi Yorgesson" (Harry Stewart) with Johnny Duffy and The Scandahoovians, Capitol (3089), 1955.

SPOKEN: You've heard "The Ballad of Davy Crockett", and you know of Paul Bunyan's fame,
But let me tell you about the greatest hero of them all. Ole Svenson was his name.

CHORUS: Ole, Ole Svenson,
King of the Great North Woods!

Born in Minnesota many years ago,
Way up there where the tall Swedes grow,
Fingers like bananas and a neck like a tree,
He was tending bar at the age of three. CHORUS

When he was a boy, it has been said,
He made a yo-yo from a hunk of lead.
Ole never shot any buffalo.
He just knocked them silly with his lead yo-yo. CHORUS

Ole chewed tobacco, four plugs at once.
Sixty pounds would last about two months.
He could break the horns off a big bull moose
When he let fly a squirt of tobacco juice. CHORUS

Ole had a sweetheart, ja, indeed,
Half Sioux Indian, the other half Swede.
The Swedes all loved her; the Sioux did too.
Ole called her his big Swede Sioux. CHORUS

Ole's girl fought in the Indian war.
She rode with the cavalry a year or more.
Captured many times by an Indian pack,
She was scalped three times but her hair grew back. CHORUS

At ninety, Ole left his stamping ground.
He walked from Fargo to Puget Sound.
They gave him a boat, his last request,
And he followed the herring right into the West.

LAST CHORUS: Ole, Ole Svenson,
He followed the herring right into the West.

Subject: Lyr Add: OLE SWENSON
From: GUEST,Todd Anderson
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 10:31 PM

Here is what I remember of the song:

Ole, Ole Swenson king of the great north woods

Born in Minnesota many years ago,
Way up there where he tall Swedes grow
Fingers like bananas, and a neck like a tree
He was tending bar at the age of three!
Ole, Ole Swenson king of the great north woods

When Ole was a child it has been said
That he made a yo-yo from a hunk of lead
Now Ole never shoot no buffalo,
He just knocked them silly with his lead yo-yo
Ole, Ole Swenson king of the great north woods

Now Ole chewed tobacco, about three pounds at once,
He could knock the horn of a bull moose
With just one squirt of tobacco juice
Ole, Ole Swenson king of the great north woods

Ole he fought in the Indian wars,
He rode with the cavalry a year or more,
Captured many time by a Indian pack,
He was scalped three times but his hair grew back.
Ole, Ole Swenson king of the great north woods

Now Ole had a sweet heart (yah indeed)
One half Sioux Indian the other half Swede,
The Sioux all loved her; the Swedes did too,
Ole called her his big Swede Sue!
Ole, Ole Swenson king of the great north woods

Now when Ole was eighty he left his stopping grounds,
He walked from Fargo to Puget Sound,
Given a boat as his last request,
He followed the herring into the west.
Ole, Ole Swenson king of the great north woods


Best sung with a Swedish accent over working the ooo's and aaaa's this is the best of what I remember singing with my fellow workers as we logged in the foot hills of the Cascades.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ole Swenson (parody of Davy Crockett)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Jun 11 - 09:32 PM

You can hear "Yogi Yorgesson" (Harry Stewart) singing THE BALLAD OF OLE SWENSON at YouTube.

The video is a homemade one of someone lip-synching to the record. You have my permission to ignore the video.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ole Swenson (parody of Davy Crockett)
From: Allen in Oz
Date: 30 Jun 11 - 09:38 PM

I seem to remember something like :


Born on a table top in Joe's cafe
Dirtiest place in the USA
Killed him a bar when he was only three
And shot his old man with a 303

Davy.... Davy Sprocket
King of the Racketeers etc


AD

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ole Swenson (parody of Davy Crockett)
From: bobad
Date: 30 Jun 11 - 09:55 PM

Then there's the Jewish version by Mickey Katz: "Duvid Crockett"

"Born in the wilds of Delancey street
home of gefilte fish and kosher meat
handy with a knife, oh her zich tzi
he flicked him a chicken, when he was only 3
Duvid, Duvid Crockett, he sat in the sun und gerocket (rocked) und gebaket (baked)
Duvid, Duvid Crockett, king of Delancey street"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ole Swenson (parody of Davy Crockett)
From: GUEST,Tom Hanson
Date: 22 Jul 12 - 12:23 AM

Ballad of Ole Svenson (King of the great north woods)
written by Yogi Yorgesson. (Harry Stewart)

Born in Minnesota many years ago
Way op North where the tall Sveeds grow
Fingers like bananas and a neck like a tree
He was tending bar at the age of three

Ole, Ole Svenson King of the great north woods

When he was a boy it has been said
he made a yo yo from a hunk of lead
Ole never shot any buffalo
He just knocked them silly with his lead yoyo

Ole, Ole Svenson King of the great north woods

Ole chewed tobacco 4 plugs at once
sixty pounds last about two months
He could knock the horns off a big bull moose
With one little squirt of tobacco juice

Ole, Ole Svenson King of the great north woods

Ole had a girl friend ya indeed
half soux indian and other half swede
the Sioux all liked her and swedes did to
So Ole called her his big swede sioux

Ole, Ole Svenson King of the great north woods

Ole's girl fought in the indian war
Road with Calvary a year or more
Captured many times by an indian pack
Scalped three times but her hair grew back

Ole, Ole Svenson King of the great north woods

At ninety Ole left his camping grounds
He walked from Fargo to Puget sound
They gave him a boat, his last request
And he followed the haring of into the west

Ole, Ole Svenson King of the great north woods