Songwriter: Berry Gordy Smokey Robinson Richard “Popcorn” Wylie
Producer: Berry Gordy
[Hook]
Men have walked and men have climbed
They live like men, and so they die so bold
But now it all comes to life
The tale of Custer's faithful night untold
[Verse]
Voice 1: Hey, is this where Custer's Last Stand took place in 1976?
Voice 2: Yeah, that's right! Hey! Listen, here that?
Voice 1: Sounds like someone digging in that hole over there to me!
Sarge, may we investigate that hole over there?
Sarge: Alright, everyone on the double to that hole over there!
Voice 1: There's a old man down there digging!
Sarge: Hey, old man! Hey, old man down there!
Old man, can you hear me? Hey!
Old Man: Please, Mr. Custer! I don't wanna go!
Sarge: Here, grab onto this rope, we'll pull you up
Old Man: I don't wanna get scalped! Sittin' Bull and his friends
Waitin' up there for my scalp, you fellas ain't gonna fool me!
Sarge: We're the US Army, this is 1960!
Voice 4: Well what am I doin' here?
Voice 1: Hey, he's wearing a 7th Calvary uniform!
And he's still digging! What happened, old man?
Old Man: Me and Mr. Custer was the only ones left, and-
Voice 1: What did you do?
Old Man: All I could do was cry
They tied Mr. Custer up in a fully looking thing
Voice 1: What did they tie him up with? Was it chains?
Old Man: Nope, wasn't no chains
Voice 1: Was it belts?
Old Man: Nope, it wasn't no belts neither
Voice 1: Was it, rope?
Old Man: Nope, wasn't none of them neither
Voice 1: Then what did they tie him with?
Voice 2: What was it, what was it?
Old Man: It was an itsy bitsy, teeny weeny
Yellow polka dot bikini
Then early that next morning, all the Indians left except one
I snook up on him, and pow, I let him have it with old betsy
I felt sorry for the fella after I shot him, though
And I said "Mr. Indian, is there any last words you got before
You go to your huntin' ground?"
Indian: Tell'um Laura, I Love-um her!
Old Man: I untied Mr. Custer, and we ran lickety-split
Before them other Indians come back
Then Mr. Custer broke out and started runnin' and yelpin'
And yellin'
Voice 1: Well what was he yellin', what was he sayin'?
Voice 2: What was he sayin'?
Custer: I'm a yogi, I'm a yogi baby!
Old Man: What?
Custer: I'm a yogi, I'm a yogi baby!
Old Man: What?
Custer: I'm a yogi!
Old Man: After Mr. Custer ran off thinkin' he was
One of them yogi fellas, the Indians caught me again!
That's the reason you fellas see me diggin' now!
And the medicine man told me that he was gonna let me go
Scott-free if, if I could
Voice 2: If you could what, if you could what?
Old man: Move two mountains, drain a river
Dive, swim the deep ends, oh, and pull the stop from the sky
And I'm on my second mountain right now
So get away from me right now! Get away!
[Hook]
Men have walked and men have climbed
They live like men, and so they die so bold
But now it all has come to life
The tale of Custer's faithful night been's told
[Outro]
Old Man: Oh geez, fellas, get on away from me
And let me drain this river and climb this mountain
Oh fellas, let me alone, will you?
Oh, get away from me, fellas
Please let me climb this mountain!
Men have walked and men have climbed
They live like men, and so they die so bold
But now it all comes to life
The tale of Custer's faithful night untold
[Verse]
Voice 1: Hey, is this where Custer's Last Stand took place in 1976?
Voice 2: Yeah, that's right! Hey! Listen, here that?
Voice 1: Sounds like someone digging in that hole over there to me!
Sarge, may we investigate that hole over there?
Sarge: Alright, everyone on the double to that hole over there!
Voice 1: There's a old man down there digging!
Sarge: Hey, old man! Hey, old man down there!
Old man, can you hear me? Hey!
Old Man: Please, Mr. Custer! I don't wanna go!
Sarge: Here, grab onto this rope, we'll pull you up
Old Man: I don't wanna get scalped! Sittin' Bull and his friends
Waitin' up there for my scalp, you fellas ain't gonna fool me!
Sarge: We're the US Army, this is 1960!
Voice 4: Well what am I doin' here?
Voice 1: Hey, he's wearing a 7th Calvary uniform!
And he's still digging! What happened, old man?
Old Man: Me and Mr. Custer was the only ones left, and-
Voice 1: What did you do?
Old Man: All I could do was cry
They tied Mr. Custer up in a fully looking thing
Voice 1: What did they tie him up with? Was it chains?
Old Man: Nope, wasn't no chains
Voice 1: Was it belts?
Old Man: Nope, it wasn't no belts neither
Voice 1: Was it, rope?
Old Man: Nope, wasn't none of them neither
Voice 1: Then what did they tie him with?
Voice 2: What was it, what was it?
Old Man: It was an itsy bitsy, teeny weeny
Yellow polka dot bikini
Then early that next morning, all the Indians left except one
I snook up on him, and pow, I let him have it with old betsy
I felt sorry for the fella after I shot him, though
And I said "Mr. Indian, is there any last words you got before
You go to your huntin' ground?"
Indian: Tell'um Laura, I Love-um her!
Old Man: I untied Mr. Custer, and we ran lickety-split
Before them other Indians come back
Then Mr. Custer broke out and started runnin' and yelpin'
And yellin'
Voice 1: Well what was he yellin', what was he sayin'?
Voice 2: What was he sayin'?
Custer: I'm a yogi, I'm a yogi baby!
Old Man: What?
Custer: I'm a yogi, I'm a yogi baby!
Old Man: What?
Custer: I'm a yogi!
Old Man: After Mr. Custer ran off thinkin' he was
One of them yogi fellas, the Indians caught me again!
That's the reason you fellas see me diggin' now!
And the medicine man told me that he was gonna let me go
Scott-free if, if I could
Voice 2: If you could what, if you could what?
Old man: Move two mountains, drain a river
Dive, swim the deep ends, oh, and pull the stop from the sky
And I'm on my second mountain right now
So get away from me right now! Get away!
[Hook]
Men have walked and men have climbed
They live like men, and so they die so bold
But now it all has come to life
The tale of Custer's faithful night been's told
[Outro]
Old Man: Oh geez, fellas, get on away from me
And let me drain this river and climb this mountain
Oh fellas, let me alone, will you?
Oh, get away from me, fellas
Please let me climb this mountain!
more tracks from the album
The Complete Motown Singles | Vol. 1: 1959-1961
- That’s No Lie
- We Really Love Each Other
- Oh Lover
- Who’s The Fool
- That Child Is Really Wild
- I’m Gonna Cry (If You Quit Me)
- Custer’s Last Man
- Yes, No, Maybe So
- You Never Miss A Good Thing
- (You Can) Depend On Me [Second Version]
- You Never Miss A Good Thing (Version Without Strings)
- A New Girl
- The Only One I Love
- Same Thing
- I Can’t Believe
- But I’m Afraid
- Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right
- Shoo-Doo
- Rosa Lee (Stay Off The Bell)
- Don’t Say Bye Bye
- Whole Lotta Woman
- Whole Lotta Woman [Regional Version]
- Money And Me
- The Feeling Is So Fine
- I Love Your Baby
- Oh I Apologize
- Bad Girl
- Who’s Lovin’ You
- Broken Hearted
- What’s So Good About Goodbye
- Ain’t It Baby
- (You Can) Depend on Me
- Mighty Good Lovin’
- Way Over There
- Everybody’s Gotta Pay Some Dues
- Shop Around (Regional Version)
- Never Again
- Shop Around (national version)
- Don’t Say Bye Bye
- It
- Snake Walk (Part 2)
- Snake Walk (Part 1)
- Whisper
- I’ve Been Good to You
- Who’s Lovin’ You
- Buttered Popcorn
- I Want A Guy
- Way Over There (Version Without Strings)
- Don’t Let Him Shop Around
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