Saturday, January 13, 2018

Ray Stevens - Gitarzan

I took down the Christmas lights at Castle Borepatch.  Losing my redneck cred, right there.  So here's a good old redneck song to redeem my reputation.

Ray Stevens wrote humorous songs that tickled the country's funny bone back in the '60s (this one and "Ahab The Arab") and '70s ("The Streak").  Guitarzan hit #8 on the Hot 100 chart in 1969.  Interestingly, he had a serious side, and won a Grammy in 1971 for "Everything Is Beautiful".



Guitarzan (Songwriters: Ray Stevens, Bill Everette)
He's free as the breeze,
He's always at ease.
He lives in the jungle
And hangs by his knees,
As he swings through trees
Without a trapeeze,
In his BVD's.
A-hoo hoo! 
He's got a union card
And he's practicin' hard
To play the gitar.
Gon' be a big star,
Yeah he's gonna go far.
An' carry moonbeams home in a jar! 
He ordered Chet's guitar course COD,
Makes A&E an' he's workin' on B.
Digs C&W&R&B an' an' me an' a chimpanzee
Agree that one day soon he'll be,
A celebrity.
Get it!
Get it!
Get it!
Get it!
OWWWWWWWWW! 
Gitarzan!
He's a guitar man!
He's all you can stand,
Give him a hand,
Gitarzan! 
(Tarzan yell)
(Coughing) 
He's gotta girl named Jane,
With no last name.
Kinda homely and plain,
But he loves her just the same.
'Cause she kindles a flame,
And it drives him insane,
When he hears her sing.
She really does her thing.
It's here claim to fame,
Come on, sing one Jane: 
Baby, baby, Whaooooo Baby!
(Scatting)
Whaooooo Baby! 
Well, they gotta pet monkey,
He likes to get drunky,
And sing boogie woogie,
And it sounds real funky,
Come on, yo' time, boy,
Sing one monkey,
Here we go, 
(Monkey grunts)
Lets hear it for the monkey!
Whooooo!
(He He He He) 
On Saturday night they need some excitement,
Jane gets right and the monkey gets tight,
And their voices unite, in the pale moon light,
And it sounds alright, yeah, it's dynamite,
It's outta sight.
Let's hear it, right nnnnnnnnow! 
Gitarzan!
And his jungle band!
They're all you can stand,
Give 'em a hand, Gitarzan!

5 comments:

Timmeehh said...

From there I got :

Big Bad Don

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALGkQq3RJ7k

Borepatch said...

Timmeehh, that's pretty funny.

taminator013 said...

I also remember his serious side. I bought a 45rpm of "Mr. Business Man" back in the day. I'd say it was about 1968 or so..............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9897_pHy3mo

Arthur said...

Holy crap, in that video still Ray looks like Iggy Pop.

I guess I've always seen him with a beard.

McChuck said...

He was making new protest songs during the Obummer administration, and releasing them straight to YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFaCytKXOSQ