Comments on: Friday Five: Rodents

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:01:12 +0000

I think you’re right about Webb Pierce, at least as far as singles go (a few album cuts touched upon the topic) but when you’ve recorded the greatest drinking song of all time in “There Stands The Glass”, how many more such songs do you need

I don’t suppose that Red Simpson’s “Beaver On My Lap And A Bear On My Tail” is really about rodents

By: luckyoldsun

luckyoldsun — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:05:23 +0000

I’m sure you’re right. And I believe that Webb Pierce had only two songs about drinking: “There Stands the Glass” and “Honky Tonk Song.”

By: ACcountryFan

ACcountryFan — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:50:03 +0000

Technically, though, Ray Stevens only had one song about squirrels but it’s become a popular myth that he’s recorded a lot more when in reality he hasn’t. That song was titled “Mississippi Squirrel Revival”. Snakes aren’t rodents but he recorded a song once called “The Ballad of Cactus Pete and Lefty”…Lefty being a sidewinder. He mentions hamsters in another song called “Old Hippie Class Reunion”. A few of his recordings feature nothing but chicken clucks as well billing himself as the Henhouse Five Plus Too. The word “too” instead of “two” was intentionally used on the recording.

By: Saving Country Music

Saving Country Music — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 05:26:12 +0000

Another good one is ‘Muskrat Candlelight’ by Willis Alan Ramsey, later covered as ‘Muskrat Love’ by America and others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89z8pJcHGks

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 23:56:49 +0000

I see an ad for Terminix on the left side of this page which could not be more appropriate! Can I hire them to go to Washington DC to exterminate the entire liberal, elitist ruling class that infests that city and does great harm to the rest of the country? Hmm…

By: luckyoldsun

luckyoldsun — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:43:57 +0000

Ray Stevens had a whole lot of songs about squirels, as the attached link hilariously notes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gUwG7CtqYY

By: luckyoldsun

luckyoldsun — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:40:59 +0000

Shenandoah/Marty Raybon had a great song called, “Ghost In This House,” where I believe he also likens himself to a mouse.

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:05:13 +0000

What, no Bob Wills “Big Beaver?!”

By: Thomas

Thomas — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:25:09 +0000

…dogs in movies, rodents in country songs – same thing, just stay away from it if you’re serious about your career. this series must be country music’s equivalent to gary larson’s “the far side”. most entertaining, miss thanki.

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:15:47 +0000

There really haven’t been all that many songs about rodents in country music.

“The Intoxicated Rat” certainly tops the list. My favorite version of the song was by Jimmie Dale & His Western Trailsmen, although folksinger Cisco Houston did a good version as did bluegrass legend Hylo Brown