Alaskan Parody Songs
News of the Alaska-Klondike
gold strike burst upon the outside world in the summer of 1897. By autumn at
least 100,000 ‘stampeders’ were on their way north. Jean A. Murray wrote that
while ‘we often envision the era of the great northern gold rushes as a silent
panorama of sepia-toned stillness…. it was not a time lived in black and white,
nor – most definitely – in silence’.
Early pioneers brought with them the
ballads and songs popular at the time in the continental or ‘lower states,’ and
they carried their instruments banjos,
balalaikas, dulcimers, guitars, fiddles, trombones, and trumpets, as well as
pianos and even an organ on river
boats, dog sleds and on foot. Murray found in collecting more than 100 tunes
from the period that the prospectors’ lives ‘were pervaded with music, from
rowdy tunes that set their boots stomping in the dance halls to mournful
laments for distant home and families.’ Singers, dancers, and even whole
orchestras joined the trail together with eager prospectors and determined
entrepreneurs.
Stephen Foster songs were often performed. Parodies of then
popular songs were numerous. A typical example was ‘On the Banks of the Yukon’ (Music of the Alaska-Klondike Gold Rush) a lampoon of Paul Dresser’s
1896 tune ‘On the Banks of the Wabash’ by Eugene Schmitz, who had been a member
of the San Francisco Symphony before he left for the northland aboard the
sternwheeler Yukoner. He was not particularly successful as a miner and
returned to San Francisco. During the terrible earthquake of 1906 he was mayor
of the city.
Murray, Jean A. Music of the Alaska-Klondike Gold Rush: Songs and History: Fairbanks U of Alaska Press.1999. 29-32
A parody is a literary composition imitating an author's work for the purpose of ridicule.
Synonyms: takeoff, imitation, travesty, burlesque
( Words by Eugene Schmitz)
(Sung to the tune of “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away”) (Original words and Music by Paul Dressler)
There’s a river in Alaska called the Yukon,
About which some fool author
wrote a song.
But he surely must have been
dreaming,
Or else his imagination
proved him wrong.
Why the water in that river
is so shallow,
The fish stand on their heads
to swim,
The mosquitoes are so thick
along the Yukon,
You have to wear an armor
made of tin.
Chorus: Oh, the midnight sun
shines bright along the Yukon,
Upon its banks there is a
never-ending day,
Through the pine trees the
never setting sun is gleaming
On the banks of the Yukon far away.
(Sung to the tune of “She’ll be Coming ‘Round the Mountain”)
She’ll be coming down the
Kobuk when she comes (mush, mush)
She’ll be coming down the
Kobuk when she comes,
She’ll be coming round the
Kobuk,
She’ll be coming round the
Kobuk,
She’ll be coming down the
Kobuk when she comes (mush, mush).
She’ll be driving 6 white
huskies when she comes (gee, haw)
She’ll be driving 6 white
huskies when she comes,
She’ll be driving 6 white
huskies,
She’ll be driving 6 white
huskies,
She’ll be driving 6 white
huskies when she comes (gee, haw).
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet
her when she comes (hi, bart)
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet
her when she comes,
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet
her,
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet
her,
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet
her when she comes (hi, bart)
She’ll be wearing her new
parka when she comes (whistle)
She’ll be wearing her new
parka when she comes,
She’ll be wearing her new
parka,
She’ll be wearing her new
parka,
She’ll be wearing her new parka
when she comes (whistle).
Oh, we’ll all have caribou
stew when she comes (yum-yum)
Oh, we’ll all have caribou
stew when she comes,
Oh, we’ll all have caribou
stew,
Oh, we’ll all have caribou
stew,
Oh, we’ll all have caribou
stew when she comes (yum-yum).
(Words by Margaret Sheldon)
(Sung to the tune “She’ll be Coming ‘Round the Mountain”)
She’ll be coming o’er the
tundra when she comes, wahka!
She’ll be coming o’er the
tundra when she comes, wahka!
She’ll be coming o’er the tundra,
She’ll be coming o’er the
tundra,
She’ll be coming o’er the
tundra when she comes, wahka!
She’ll be driving 6 white
huskies when she comes, gee, haw!
She’ll be driving 6 white
huskies when she comes,
She’ll be driving 6 white
huskies,
She’ll be driving 6 white
huskies,
She’ll be driving 6 white
huskies when she comes, gee, haw, wahka!
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet
her when she comes, slapa!
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet
her when she comes
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet
her
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet
her
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet
her when she comes, slapa!
Oh, we’ll kill a big fat
walrus when she comes, eenege!
Oh, we’ll kill a big fat
walrus when she comes, eenege!
Oh, we’ll kill a big fat
walrus,
Oh, we’ll kill a big fat
walrus,
Oh, we’ll kill a big fat
walrus when she comes, eenege, slapa, gee haw, wahka!
We’ll all eat muktuk and
agootuk when she comes, eeyah!
We’ll all eat muktuk and
agootuk when she comes, eeyah!
We’ll all eat muktuk and
agootuk,
We’ll
all eat muktuk and agootuk,
We’ll all eat muktuk and
agootuk when she comes, eeyah, eenege, slapa, gee haw, wahka.
(Sung to the tune “When it’s Springtime in the Rockies”)
When it’s springtime in Alaska,
And it’s 99 below,
When the polar bears go
fishing,
In 40 feet of snow.
When the ptarmigan are
calling,
Making music all the day –
Then it’s springtime in Alaska,
In Alaska, far away.
When it’s springtime in Alaska,
And it’s 99 below,
The Eskimos go bearfoot
because they
Love the snow.
Polar bears get sunburned,
The seals they lose their
hair,
Aren’t you glad that you are
there?
Music and original text:
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/tabs/autry-gene/springtime-in-rockies-8218.html
Definitions:
1. Kobuk was founded in 1899 as a supply point for miners. A trading post, school, and mission were build and residents came to the settlement. Kobuk is located on the bank of the Kobuk River,
7 miles northeast of Shungnak. In 2008 113 people lived in Kobuk City. The economy of Kobuk is based on subsistence hunting for caribou and moose.
2. The Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories and the closest to Alaska. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in. The territory's capital is Whitehorse.
3. Tundra, the meaning of the word derives from the Finnish word for barren or treeless land.
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/tundra.html A vast, nearly level, treeless plain of the arctic regions.
4. Husky is a general term for several breeds of dogs used as sled dogs. Huskies were originally used as sled dogs in northern regions but are now also kept as pets. The word "husky" is a corruption of the derogative term "Eskie", also given to the Esquimaux tribes that came into contact with Europeans who made early expeditions into their lands. The most common huskies are the Siberian Husky and the Alaskan Husky.
5. Parka, a hooded fur outer garment worn in the Arctic, originally of pullover design but now generally having a front closure.
6. Eskimo (ĕs'kəmō), a general term used to refer to a number of groups inhabiting the coastline from the Bering Sea to Greenland and the Chukchi Peninsula in NE Siberia. Their antiquity is unknown, but it is generally agreed that they were relatively recent migrants to the Americas from NE Asia, spreading from west to east over the course of the past 5,000 years.
7. Muktuk is most often made from the skin and blubber of the Bowhead whale, although the Beluga and the Narwhal are also used.
8. Ptarmigan, close relatives of forest and prairie grouse, live in alpine and arctic tundras throughout the northern hemisphere. There are three kinds of ptarmigan, and all are found in Alaska.
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/bird/ptarmiga.php
Chorus: This land is your
land,
It sure ain’t my land,
From the frozen Northland
To the unpaved Alcan.
From the ice in Barrow
To the Bering Narrows,
This land was made for you,
not me.
Verse 1: The fish are
running,
Mosquitoes are buzzing,
The bears are growling,
The wolves are howling,
My car is stalling,
My kids are bawling,
This land was made for you,
not me.
Verse 2: I went out hunting
For moose and caribou,
Though the ice was frozen,
I still fell right through.
While I stood there freezing,
I moose informed me:
“This land was made for me,
not you”
Verse 3: See the earth
a-quaking,
The buildings shaking,
The tides a-rising,
The boats capsizing,
My house is battered,
My nerves are shattered,
This land is sinking in the
sea.
Chorus: This land is your
land,
It sure ain’t my land,
From the frozen Northland
To the unpaved Alcan.
From the ice in Barrow
To the Bering Narrows,
This land was made for you,
not me.
Original Text:
http://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/This_Land.htm
On the first day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see . . . .
A Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
On the second day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see . . . .
2 Tourist traps
And a Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
On the third day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see . . . .
3 Raucous Ravens
2 Tourist traps
And a Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
On the fourth day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see . . . .
4 Browsing Moose
3 Raucous Ravens
2 Tourist traps
And a Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
On the fifth day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see . . . .
5 Annual Floods
4 Browsing Moose
3 Raucous Ravens
2 Tourist traps
And a Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
On the sixth day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see . . . .
6 Auroras Dancing
5 Annual Floods
4 Browsing Moose
3 Raucous Ravens
2 Tourist traps
And a Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
On the seventh day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see . . . .
7 Sourdoughs Snoozing
6 Auroras Dancing
5 Annual Floods
4 Browsing Moose
3 Raucous Ravens
2 Tourist traps
And a Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
On the eighth day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see . . . .
8 Cheechakoes Freezing
7 Sourdoughs Snoozing
6 Auroras Dancing
5 Annual Floods
4 Browsing Moose
3 Raucous Ravens
2 Tourist traps
And a Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
On the ninth day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see . . . .
9 Huskies Mushing
8 Cheechakoes Freezing
7 Sourdoughs Snoozing
6 Auroras Dancing
5 Annual Floods
4 Browsing Moose
3 Raucous Ravens
2 Tourist traps
And a Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
On the tenth day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see . . . .
10 Salmon Leaping
9 Huskies Mushing
8 Cheechakoes Freezing
7 Sourdoughs Snoozing
6 Auroras Dancing
5 Annual Floods
4 Browsing Moose
3 Raucous Ravens
2 Tourist traps
And a Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
On the eleventh day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see . . . .
11 Skiers Skiing
10 Salmon Leaping
9 Huskies Mushing
8 Cheechakoes Freezing
7 Sourdoughs Snoozing
6 Auroras Dancing
5 Annual Floods
4 Browsing Moose
3 Raucous Ravens
2 Tourist traps
And a Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
On the twelfth day of Christmas we Salch’ns like to see .
. . .
12 Snowflakes Falling .. falling? falling?
11 Skiers Skiing
10 Salmon Leaping
9 Huskies Mushing
8 Cheechakoes Freezing
7 Sourdoughs Snoozing
6 Auroras Dancing
5 Annual Floods
4 Browsing Moose
3 Raucous Ravens
2 Tourist traps
And a Ptarmigan in a Spruce Tree
***
From a letter by Ann Stone
We presented it December 5, 2003 and it was part of the Salcha Community Christmas Concert. We called it "Neighbors Sharing the Spirit of the Season". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had just completed their new addition and offered the building for a combo concert and open house. The event was held at 7:00 in the evening.
1. Our Alaska
(Tune: Deep in the Heart of Texas)
The Stars at night are twice as bright
(clap, chap, clap, clap)
Up here in our Alaska.
The Arctic sky, is twice as high,
(clap, clap, clap, clap)
Up here in our Alaska.
There’s sun at night and Northern Lights
(clap, clap, clap, clap)
Up here in our Alaska.
So don’t berate the BIGGEST STATE
(clap, clap, clap, clap)
And THAT IS OUR ALASKA.
2. Let the Rest of the World Go By
(Tune: Same as title)
With a sourdough like you,
In my snug igloo,
Our creditors and in-laws
Sure will never find
Our spot that’s known
To Russia alone,
Just the spot she wants to own,
But how good we‘ll feel
On muktuk and seal,
Out there beneath the Arctic sky,
We’ll buy a dog team and sled,
Bake sourdough bread,
And let the rest of the world go by.
3. Home on the Tundra
(Tune: Home on the Range)
The tundra’s my home
There the caribou roam,
There the seals and the walruses play,
There never is heard any kind of a word,
And the wind and dogs howl all day.
Chorus
Home, home in the snow,
It’s mild when it’s 90 below,
The tundra for me, along the Bering Sea,
And the life of a gay Eskimo.
4. She'll Be Comin' O'er the Tundra
(Tune: She'll be Coming 'round the Mountain)
She’ll be comin’ o’er the tundra when she comes, Wahka,
She’ll be comin’ o’er the tundra when she comes, Wahka,
She’ll be coming’ o’er the tundra ,
She’ll be coming o’er the tundra,
She’ll be comin’ o’er the tundra when she comes, Wahka.
She’ll be drivin’ six white huskies
When she comes, GeeHaw,
She’ll be drivin’ six white huskies
When she comes, GeeHaw,
She’ll be drivin’ six white huskies,
She’ll be drivin’ six white huskies,
She’ll be drivin’ six white huskies
When she comes, GeeHaw, Wahka.
We will all go out to meet her when she comes, Allapa
We will all go out to meet her when she comes, Allapa
We will all go out to meet her
We will all go out to meet her
We will all go out to meet her when she comes,
Allapa, GeeHaw, Wahka
5. Quak and Muktuk and Agotue
(Tune: Mairzy Doats)
Quak and mukyuk and agootuk
Fish and seals and walrus!
Sourdoughs eat them all, why don’t you?
Quak and mukyuk and agootuk
Fish and seals and walrus!
Sourdoughs eat them all it is true.
If this grub sounds queer
And funny to your ear
You really ought to try it.
If it ain’t so hot
It’s all we’ve got
And we love our raw fish diet,
Quak and muktuk and agootuk
Fish and seals and walrus
Sourdoughs love them all, why don’t you?
6. At the Winter Carnival
(Tune: Darktown Strutters' Ball)
I’ll mush down to get you with my dog
team, honey,
The Carnival will start at half-past nine,
Now, Baby doll it up fine,
Put on your mukluks and your mitts and parka.
Remember when we get there, honey,
There’s sled dog races and plenty to do.
We're goin' dancin' every night
At the "Sourdoughs' Delight".
All next week at the Winter Carnival.
7. There's a Long, Long Trail
(Tune: Same as the title)
There's a long, long trail a winding
Across the tundra to the sea.
Over show and ice, the dog teams
Take me where I want to be,
Where there's long, long nights of darkness,
Then never ending light of day
To Alaska I'm returning,
Down the long, long trail to stay.
8. My Snug Little Igloo in Alaska
(Tune: My Little Grass Shack)
I want to go back to my snug little igloo in Alaska,
I want to see the Eskimo that I knew long ago.
I can hear the drums a throbbing on the beach in Diomede;
My homesick heart is sobbing to go back
to the Land of the Midnight Sun.
On the old North Star I'll go sailing back to Alaska,
A great, great land that's always dear to me.
I'm just a sourdough that strayed away from home,
From up in the Arctic I'll never roam,
I want to go back to my snug little igloo in Alaska
Where the polar bears ad walruses and seals go swimming by,
Where polar bears and walruses
ad seal go swimming by.
9. Back to Alaska
(Tune: Drifting and Dreaming)
We'll drift and dream, dear,
In our oomiak,
Back to Alaska,
And our little shack
With now on the rooftops,
And night all the day,
Back to Alaska,
This time to stay.
10. Schottische of the Ice Worms
(Tune: Puffer Billies)
Out on the glaciers -
In the evening sunset
Out crawl the ice worms
For their exercise,
The squirm and wiggle
And Schottische on the ice cap,
One, two, three, four
Hop, Hop, and Hop.
From the Alaska Sheet Music Collection
Sourdough Songs (Lyrics) 2006-61
Alaska & Polar Regions Collections
Rasmuson Library
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Also by Laura Buchan Jones
Tundra Tales
A 19 page booklet of sketches and a collection of Alaskan Eskimo legends
from various sources authored by Laura Buchan Jones and illustrated by
Russell Ahsoak. It was published by the Soroptimist Club of Fairbanks in 1959.
Other Parody Songs:
The list of parody songs in this Teacher’s Lesson Plan is not complete. There are any numbers of other songs suitable for schools that should be added to it. Suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Suzanne Summerville, Dr. phil.
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