HEE HAW HALLELUJAH

Yesterday while responding to the Hot Topics blog that Jim Ross has on hdonline.com, I mentioned a song I had heard on a tape a few days ago. It was an old tape, all the way back to the last century (hee-hee), in 1996. As it is an election year and no one has any new election songs, we'll just replay this one. It dates to a couple of weeks after the reelection of FDR in 1936 (waaayy before my time--six years at least!) That election was characterized by some doubts that Roosevelt would be reelected. After his reelection, Bill Cox, known as "The Dixie Songbird", wrote and published the following (which might be appropos in 2008 unless things change.)

THE DEMOCRATIC DONKEY IS BACK IN HIS STALL AGAIN

I've been a good old donkey, but they turned me out to die.
They had me on the Commmons where the grass don't grow so high.
Now I'm in the clover and the fields of golden grain.
I'm back in old Columby, in the same old stall again.
Well they had me up Salt River 'til I kicked that stable down.
I knew that Mr. Roosevelt would ride me into town.
He mounted to the saddle and he grabbed the bridle rein.
I'm back in old Columby, in the same old stall again.

Chorus:

Hee Haw Hallelujah, Hee Haw Hallelujah
I'm back in old Columby, in the same old stall again.

He shouted, "On to Washington, clear the track and let us by."
You never saw a donkey in your life jump so high.
He rode me on to Dixie, I carried him to fame.
I'm back in old Columby, in the same old stall again.
The rooster and the eagle fought a duel in the sky,
While I was kicking gravel in the big white elephant's eye.
The rooster flogged the eagle, he proved he was game.
I'm back in old Columby, in the same old stall again.

Chorus:

Hee Haw Halleujah Hee Haw Halleujah
I'm back in old Columby, in the same old stall again.

And they had me on the racetrack for another stakes this fall.
Mr. Roosevelt, he rode me, to the Presidental Hall. (sic)
Then he led me to the manger just to feed my hungry frame,
I'm back in old Columby, in the same old stall again.
And you will see my handsome profile in the papers everywhere.
Soon you'll hear them singing about me on the air.
The world's going to miss me, Lord, when I'm dead and gone.
But when the angels find me, I'll be sleeping in the White House barn.


Chorus:

Hee Haw Hallelujah Hee Haw Hallelujah
I'm back in old Columby, in the same old stall again.

And to think, about thirty years later, they named a tv show for the chorus!