THE BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT
From the film "Davy Crockett, King Of The Wild Fronteir" (1954)
(George Bruns / Tom Blackburn)
Bill Hayes - 1955
Dick James - 1956
Max Bygraves - 1956
Eddy Arnold - 1961
Louis Armstrong - 1968
Also recorded by: Burl Ives; Fess Parker; Tennessee Ernie Ford;
Stephen Bishop; Kentucky Headhunters; Chip Davis; Mac Wiseman; Cliff
Adams Singers; Moose & The Pelicans
Born on a mountain top in Tennessee
Greenest state in the land of the free
Raised in the woods so he knew ev'ry tree
Kilt him a b'ar when he was only three
Davy, Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier!
Off through the woods he was marchin' along
Makin' up yarns an' singin' a song
Itchin' for some fightin' and rightin' of wrongs.
Ringy as a bar and twice as strong.
Davy Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Fronteir.
He went off to Congress an' served a spell
Fixin' up the Govern'ments an' laws as well
Took over Washin'ton so we heered tell
An' patched up the crack in the Liberty Bell
Davy, Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Fronteir!
When he come home his politickin' done
The western march had just begun
So he packed his gear an' his trusty gun
An' lit out grinnin' to follow the sun
Davy, Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Fronteir!
He heard of Houston an' Austin so
To the Texas plains he jest had to go
Where freedom was fightin' another foe
An' they needed him at the Alamo
Davy, Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Fronteir!
His land is biggest an' his land is best
From grassy plains to the mountain crest
He's ahead of us all an' meetin' the test
Followin' his legend right into the West
Davy, Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier!
*****
FULL VERSION:
Born on a mountain top in Tennessee
Greenest state in the land of the free
Raised in the woods so he knew ev'ry tree
Kilt him a b'ar when he was only three
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!
In eighteen thirteen the Creeks uprose
Addin' redskin arrows to the country's woes
Now, Injun fightin' is somethin' he knows,
So he shoulders his rifle an' off he goes
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who don't know fear!
Off through the woods he's a marchin' along
Makin' up yarns an' a singin' a song
Itchin' fer fightin' an' rightin' a wrong
He's ringy as a b'ar an' twice as strong
Davy, Davy Crockett, the buckskin buccaneer!
Andy Jackson is our Gen'ral's name
His reg'lar soldiers we'll put to shame
Them redskin varmints us Volunteers'll tame
'Cause we got the guns with the sure-fire aim
Davy, Davy Crockett, the champion of us all!~
Headed back to war from the ol' home place
But Red Stick was leadin' a merry chase
Fightin' an' burnin' at a devil's pace
South to the swamps on the Florida Trace
Davy, Davy Crockett, trackin' the redskins down!
Fought single-handed through the Injun War
Till the Creeks was whipped an' peace was in store
An' while he was handlin' this risky chore
Made hisself a legend for evermore
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!
He give his word an' he give his hand
That his Injun friends could keep their land
An' the rest of his life he took the stand
That justice was due every redskin band
Davy, Davy Crockett, holdin' his promise dear!
Home fer the winter with his family
Happy as squirrels in the ol' gum tree
Bein' the father he wanted to be
Close to his boys as the pod an' the pea
Davy, Davy Crockett, holdin' his young'uns dear!
But the ice went out an' the warm winds came
An' the meltin' snow showed tracks of game
An' the flowers of Spring filled the woods with flame
An' all of a sudden life got too tame
Davy, Davy Crockett, headin' on West again!
Off through the woods we're ridin' along
Makin' up yarns an' singin' a song
He's ringy as a b'ar an' twice as strong
An' knows he's right 'cause he ain' often wrong
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who don't know fear!
Lookin' fer a place where the air smells clean
Where the trees is tall an' the grass is green
Where the fish is fat in an untouched stream
An' the teemin' woods is a hunter's dream
Davy, Davy Crockett, lookin' fer Paradise!
Now he's lost his love an' his grief was gall
In his heart he wanted to leave it all
An' lose himself in the forests tall
But he answered instead his country's call
Davy, Davy Crockett, beginnin' his campaign!
Needin' his help they didn't vote blind
They put in Davy 'cause he was their kind
Sent up to Nashville the best they could find
A fightin' spirit an' a thinkin' mind
Davy, Davy Crockett, choice of the whole frontier!
The votes were counted an' he won hands down
So they sent him off to Washin'ton town
With his best dress suit still his buckskins brown
A livin' legend of growin' renown
Davy, Davy Crockett, the Canebrake Congressman!
He went off to Congress an' served a spell
Fixin' up the Governments an' laws as well
Took over Washin'ton so we heered tell
An' patched up the crack in the Liberty Bell
Davy, Davy Crockett, seein' his duty clear!
Him an' his jokes travelled all through the land
An' his speeches made him friends to beat the band
His politickin' was their favorite brand
An' everyone wanted to shake his hand
Davy, Davy Crockett, helpin' his legend grow!
He knew when he spoke he sounded the knell
Of his hopes for White House an' fame as well
But he spoke out strong so hist'ry books tell
An' patched up the crack in the Liberty Bell
Davy, Davy Crockett, seein' his duty clear!
When he come home his politickin' done
The western march had just begun
So he packed his gear an' his trusty gun
An' lit out grinnin' to follow the sun
Davy, Davy Crockett, leadin' the pioneers!
He heard of Houston an' Austin so
To the Texas plains he jest had to go
Where freedom was fightin' another foe
An' they needed him at the Alamo
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who don't know fear!
His land is biggest an' his land is best
From grassy plains to the mountain crest
He's ahead of us all meetin' the test
Followin' his legend into the West
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!
*****
LA BALLADE DE DAVY CROCKETT
(The Ballad of Davy Crockett)
(Tom Blackburn, Georges Bruns, Francis Blanche, 1954)
Annie Cordy (Belgium)
Y avait un homme qui s'appelait Davy
Il était né dans le Tennessee
Si courageux que quand il était p'tit
Il tua un ours du premier coup d'fusil
Davy, Davy Crockett, l'homme qui n'a jamais peur
A quatorze ans il s'était perdu
Dans un désert vaste et inconnu
Pendant dix jours il marcha vers le Sud
Sans rien manger qu'un petit peu d'herbe crue
Davy, Davy Crockett, l'homme qui n'a jamais faim
Pendant la guerre contre les indiens
Il combattit tout seul contre vingt
Ayant une flèche plantée dans une main
Il l'arracha avec son autre main
Davy, Davy Crockett, l'homme qui n'a jamais mal
Dans la forêt au cœur de l'hiver
Quand il chassait les loups et les cerfs
Le torse nu et les bras découverts
Il s'en allait riant des courants d'air
Davy, Davy Crockett, l'homme qui n'a jamais froid
Quand les Peaux-Rouges demandèrent la paix
Davy serra la main qu'ils tendaient
Avec les chefs il fuma le calumet
Mais sans rien boire, pas même un verre de lait
Davy, Davy Crockett, l'homme qui n'a jamais soif
On l'présenta pour les élections
Et ses discours remuaient l'opinion
Il était là dans toutes les réunions
La tête froide malgré son émotion
Davy, Davy Crockett, l'homme qui n'a jamais chaud
C'était un homme qui s'appelait Davy
Tout le monde ici se souvient de lui
Face au danger, à la peur, à la nuit
Face au devoir, à la mort, à la vie.
Davy, Davy Crockett, l'homme qui n'a jamais fui.
