The year 1951

Unemployment dipped to 3.3% in the US and new roads were built to take the ever increasing numbers of cars including the New Jersey Turnpike. Children were given more than any other time in previous history with guitar lessons and sets of Encyclopedias to improve their minds . The average family income was $3,700 per year and people had money to spend so cars became more luxurious and had more powerful engines with options for two tone paint, during this time things like turn signals were still an extra and most drivers still used hand signals to tell other drivers which way they were turning. Television continued to grow with popular programmes like "I Love Lucy" and the first tests for Color Television Pictures were broadcast from Empire State Building . Europe continued to export many cars to the US including Volkswagon's and Austin's.

Quoted from Thepeoplehistory.com.

The Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Dec. 16, 1950 - Mar. 2, 1951

Wow. Just wow...


Download The Tennessee Waltz at Amazon.com

This was her second number one hit in a little less than two months, and it remained on top for sixteen weeks. And, yes, she sure could sing.

This is the perfect song for celebrating a new year. Yes, our time machine is now leaving the year 1950 and heading on into 1951. It's been an interesting first year! Thanks to those of you who came along for this first part of our trip. Make sure to stay aboard for more.

Lyrics:

I was dancing with my darlin' to the Tennesse waltz
when an old friend I happened to see.
I introduced him to my loved one,
and while they were dancing
my friend stole my sweet-heart from me.

I remember the night and the Tennessee waltz.
Now I know just how much I have lost.
Yes I lost my little darlin' the night
they were playing the beautiful Tennessee waltz.

Update: Also see the post Norah Jones - The Tennessee Waltz.

The Thing - Phil Harris

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Dec. 2 - Dec. 15

A funny little song by Phil Harris:



Lyrics:

While I was walking down the beach one bright and sunny day,
I saw a great big wooden box a-floating in the bay.
I pulled it in and opened it up and much to my surprise,
Ooh, I discovered a * * * right before my eyes.
Ooh, I discovered a * * * right before my eyes.

I picked it up and ran to town as happy as a king.
I took it to a guy I knew who'd buy 'most anything.
But this is what he hollered at me as I walked in his shop:
"Ooh, get out of here with that * * * before I call a cop!
Ooh, get out of here with that * * * before I call a cop!"

I turned around and got right out, a-running for my life.
And then I took it home with me to give it to my wife.
But this is what she hollered at me as I walked in the door:
"Ooh, get out of here with that * * * and don't come back no more!
Ooh, get out of here with that * * * and don't come back no more!"

I wandered all around the town until I chanced to meet
A hobo who was looking for a handout on the street.
He said he'd take 'most any old thing. He was a desperate man.
But when I showed him the * * *, he turned around and ran.
Ooh, when I showed him the * * *, he turned around and ran.

I wandered on for many years, a victim of my fate,
Until one day I came upon Saint Peter at the Gate.
And when I tried to take it inside, he told me where to go:
"Get out of here with that * * *, and take it down below!
Oh, get out of here with that * * *, and take it down below!"

The moral of this story is if you're out on the beach
And you should see a great big box and it's within your reach,
Don't ever stop and open it up. That's my advice to you.
'Cause you'll never get rid of the * * *, no matter what you do.
Oh, you'll never get rid of the * * *, no matter what you do.

Download The Thing at Amazon.com

Harbor Lights - Sammy Kaye

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Nov. 18 - Dec. 1

This song originated in 1937 but was first released in 1950. Lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy and music by Hugh Williams.



It has been recorded in many versions, including one by the King of Rock, Elvis Presley. It was recorded in 1954.



Lyrics:

I saw the harbor lights
They only told me we were parting
The same old harbor lights that once brought you to me
I watched the harbor lights
How could I help if tears were starting
Goodbye to tender nights beside the silv'ry sea

I long to hold you near and kiss you just once more
But I was on the ship and you were on the shore
Now I know lonely nights
For all the while my heart is whisp'ring
Some other harbor lights will steal your love from me

[Instrumental Interlude]
Elvis Presley version
I long to hold you near and kiss you just once more
But I was on the ship and you were on the shore
Now I know lonely nights
For all the while my heart is whisp'ring
Some other harbor lights will steal your love from me

Download Harbor Lights at Amazon.com:
Samy Kaye version
Elvis Presley version

All My Love - Patti Page

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Oct. 28 - Nov. 17

This is a wonderful live recording, however the sound quality is not the best, especially not the instrumentals.



The lyrics in this recording aren't exactly the same as the ones that I found at Lyricsdownload.com:

All my love, I give you all my love
The skies may fall, my love
But I will still be true
All my sighs, will disappear at last
Now that you're here at last
My heart belongs to you

Ohhhhhhhhh ooh, never let me go
You thrill me so
I can see as I recall my life
I've waited all my life
To give you all my love

Ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay

Bow, caballero, and tip your sombrero
To your seorita, the lovely Chiquita
Waiting so long for you and your song
While you are playing her heart will be swaying
She will surrender her kisses so tender
To you she will cling the moment that you sing

All my love, I give you all my love
The skies may fall, my love
But I will still be true
All my sighs will disappear at last
Now that you're here at last my heart belongs to you

Ohhhhhhhhh ooh, never let me go
You thrill me so
I can see as I recall my life
I've waited all my life
To give you all my love

Ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay
FADE
Ay, ay, ay

Download All My Love at Amazon.com

Index page

This post will serve as an index page for the blog. I'll link to different sections of the blog from here. A link to this post will be included in the column to the right.

A presentation of the blog, also the first blog post.

If you don't want to listen to all the songs, why not trust my judgement and let me pick a few of my favorites out of the songs that I have posted on the blog? Under the label "Editor's pick", I've listed my favorites.

Sometimes, I can't find any good audio or video for a song that I mean to post. In those instances, any help finding one would be much appreciated. Any posts where I'm in the need of reader assistance are collected under the tag "Reader help required".

So far, there isn't much more to list on this page.

Goodnight, Irene - Weavers featuring Gordon Jenkins

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Aug. 19 - Oct. 27

The Weavers were around for many years and eventually received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. They had some tough years being blacklisted by parts of the entertainment industry and even put under FBI surveillance because of their leftist personal beliefs.

I really like this song. I found a few versions of it, and I'll post all of them here. However, I don't think any one of them is the exact version that topped the billboard list.

Here we go:



A lovely live recording:



And finally, this is a live recording from their reunion concert at Carnegie Hall. It makes me pleasantly shiver..



Find out more about the Weavers at Wikipedia.org.

Lyrics:

Irene goodnight, Irene goodnight
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
I'll see you in my dreams

Last Saturday night I got married
Me and my wife settled down
Now me and my wife are parted
I'm gonna take another stroll downtown

Irene goodnight, Irene goodnight
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
I'll see you in my dreams

Sometimes I live in the country
Sometimes I live in town
Sometimes I take a grave notion
To jump into the river and drown

Irene goodnight, Irene goodnight
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
I'll see you in my dreams

Stop ramblin', stop your gamblin'
Stop stayin' out late at night
Go home to your wife and family
Stay there by your farsight right

Irene goodnight, Irene goodnight
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
I'll see you in my dreams
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
I'll see you in my dreams
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
I'll see you in my dreams

Download Goodnight Irene at Amazon.com

Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single July 8 - Aug. 18

Words and music by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
Academy Award winner from the film Captain Carey, starring Alan Ladd



Lyrics:

Mona lisa, mona lisa, men have named you
Youre so like the lady with the mystic smile
Is it only cause youre lonely they have blamed you?
For that mona lisa strangeness in your smile?

Do you smile to tempt a lover, mona lisa?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there and they die there
Are you warm, are you real, mona lisa?
Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art?



Do you smile to tempt a lover, mona lisa?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there and they die there
Are you warm, are you real, mona lisa?
Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art?

Mona lisa, mona lisa

Download Mona Lisa at Amazon.com

I Wanna Be Loved - Andrews Sisters

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single June 24 - July 7

Again, I couldn't find any good audio for this song. However, it's downloadable at Amazon.com and there's also a preview:

Download and preview at Amazon.com

I wanna be loved,
With inspiration!
I wanna be loved,
Starting tonight!

Instead of merely
Holding conversation,
Hold me tight!

I wanna be kissed,
Until I tingle!
I wanna be kissed,
Starting tonight!

Embrace until
our heartbeats intermingle,
Wrong or right!

I feel like acting my age!
I’m passed the stage of merely turtle-doving!
(Be careful! Be careful what you do!)
I’m in no mood to resist,
And I insist the world owes me a loving!

I wanna be thrilled
To desperation!
I wanna be thrilled,
starting tonight!
(Love me! Love me! Love me!)

With every kind of wonderful sensation!
I wanna be loved!

I feel like acting my age!
I’m passed the stage of merely turtle-doving!
I’m in no mood to resist,
And I insist the world owes me a loving!

I wanna be thrilled to desperation!
(I wanna be thrilled!I wanna be thrilled!)
I wanna be thrilled, starting tonight!
(I wanna be thrilled tonight!)

With every kind of wonderful sensation,
I wanna be loved!

If you find any good audio or video for this song, please let me know in the comments.

More language issues

This may seem to be an unnecessary post, but I feel that this has to be said once and for all. English is not my primary language, and thus my language may not be perfect at all times. I know I have some problems with prepositions, for example, and probably a lot of errors of different kinds will sneak into my posts. However, I do very much appreciate comments on my language. Any constructive criticism will help me learn and improve my language.

Then, why do I write this in English in the first place? Well, apart from the fact that writing in Swedish, which is my native tongue, would be a bit easier, there really is no reason to exclude a majority of my already small potential reader base by writing in a language spoken by only a small fraction of that base. And I do like to practice my English.

Sentimental Me - Ames Brothers

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single June 10 - July 23



Lyrics:

Sentimental me
Guess I'll always be
So in love with you
Don't know what to do
Sentimental me

Dreaming while I live
Living just to give
All my love to you
No one else will do
Sentimental me

Reaching for the moon
And wishing on a star
On my honeymoon
I want to be where you are

Darling, can't you see
It was meant to be
I'm in love with you
Say you love me too
Sentimental me

[Instrumental Interlude]

Reaching for the moon (reaching for the moon)
And wishing on a star (wishing on a star)
On my honeymoon (on my honeymoon)
I want to be where you are

Darling, can't you see
It was meant to be
I'm in love with you
Say you love me too
Sentimental me

Download Sentimental Me at Amazon.com

Hoop-Dee-Doo - Perry Como with Fontane Sisters

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single June 3 - June 9



Lyrics:

Hoop-Dee-Doo, Hoop-Dee-Doo
I hear a polka and my troubles are through
Hoop-Dee-Dee, Hoop-Dee-Dee
This kind of music is like heaven to me
Hoop-Dee-Doo, Hoop-Dee-Doo
Has got me higher than a kite
Hand me down my soup and fish, I am gonna get my wish
Hoop-Dee-Doin' it tonight

When there's a trombone playin' I get a thrill, I always will
When there's a concertina stretched about a mile
I always smile 'cause that's my style
When there's a fiddle in the middle oh it really is a riddle how he plays a tune so sweet
Plays a tune so sweet that I could die Lead me to the floor and hear me yell for more
'cause I'm a Hoop-Dee-Doin' kind of guy

(Hoop-Dee-Doo), Hoop-Dee-Doo
(Hoop-Dee-Doo), Hoop-De-Doo
(I hear a polka and my troubles are through)-ha, ha, ha, ha
(Hoop-Dee-Doo), Hoop-Dee-Doo
(Hoop-Dee-Dee) Hoop-De-Dee
(This kind of music is like heaven to me)

Oh, Hoop-Dee-Doo (Hoop-Dee-Doo)
Hoop-Dee-Doo (Hoop-Dee-Doo)
Has got me higher than a kite
Hand me down my soup and fish, I am gonna get my wish
Hoop-Dee-Doin' it tonight

(When there's a trombone playin') (He gets a thrill) I get a thrill, I always will (He always will)
(When there's a concertina) stretched about a mile
I always smile (You'll see him smile) 'cause that's my style (Oh, that's his style)
When there's a fiddle in the middle oh it really is a riddle how he plays a tune so sweet
(Plays a tune so sweet that we could die) Ah, yes lead me to the floor and hear me yell
for more 'cause I'm a Hoop-Dee-Doin' kind of guy

Oh, Hoop-Dee-Doo, Hoop-Dee-Doo
It's got us higher than a kite
They're in clover, we're in bloom, when we're dancin' give us room
Hoop-De-Doin' it with all of our might
Rain may fall and snow may come, nothin's gonna stop us from
Hoop-Dee-Doin' it
Hoop-Dee-Doin' it
Hoop-Dee-Doin' it tonight

Download Hoop-Dee-Doo at Amazon.com

The Third Man Theme - Guy Lombardo

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single May 5 - June 2

This is interesting: Immediately after Anton Karas' original recording of The Third Man Theme left the number one spot on the billboard list, it's place was taken by Guy Lombardo's version of the very same song. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any good audio or video for this version, so if you know of one, please let me know in the comments.

However, there's a preview at Amazon.com, where the full audio can also be downloaded:

Download and preview at Amazon.com

Now, let's move on to the next song to top the billboard chart. It will be posted during the day.

The Third Man Theme - Anton Karas

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Apr. 29 - May 4



This one is a real classic! Before The Third Man, Anton Karas was an unknown zither player, playing at cafés and bars. The exposure he got from The Third Man turned him into an international star.

I never knew the old Vienna before the war, with its Strauss music, its glamour and easy charm -- Constantinople suited me better. I really got to know it in the classic period of the Black Market. We'd run anything, if people wanted it enough- mmm - had the money to pay. Of course, a situation like that does tempt amateurs, but you know they can't stay the course like a professional.

Now the city - it's divided into four zones, you know, each occupied by a power - the American, the British, the Russian, and the French. But the center of the city - that's international, policed by an International Patrol, one member of each of the four powers. Wonderful. What a hope they had, all of them strangers to the place and none of them could speak the same language, except a sort of smattering of German. Good fellows on the whole, did their best, you know. Vienna doesn't really look any worse than a lot of other European cities, bombed about a bit.

Oh, I was gonna tell you, wait, I was gonna tell you about Holly Martins, an American. Came all the way here to visit a friend of his. The name is Lime, Harry Lime. Now Martins was broke and Lime had offered him some sort - I don't know - some sort of a job. Anyway, there he was, poor chap, happy as a lark and without a cent.

Download The Third Man Theme at Amazon.com:
Original version| Another version

If I Knew You Were Comin' Id've Baked a Cake - Eileen Barton

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Mar. 25 - Apr. 28



Lyrics:

SPOKEN: Come in! Well, well, well. Look who's here. I haven't seen you in many
a year.

If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake, baked a cake, baked a cake
If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
Howdya do, howdya do, howdya do?

Had you dropped me a letter, I'd a-hired a band, grandest band in the land
Had you dropped me a letter, I'd a-hired a band
And spread the welcome mat for you

Oh, I don't know where you came from
'cause I don't know where you've been
But it really doesn't matter
Grab a chair and fill your platter
And dig, dig, dig right in

If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake, hired a band, goodness sake!
If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
Howdya do, howdya do, howdya do?

If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake, baked a cake, baked a cake
If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
Howdya do, howdya do, howdya do?

Had you dropped me a letter, I'd a-hired a band, grandest band in the land
Had you dropped me a letter, I'd a-hired a band
Spread the welcome mat for you

Oh, I don't know where you came from
'cause I don't know where you've been
But it really doesn't matter
Grab a chair and fill your platter
And dig, dig, dig right in

If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake, hired a band, goodness sake!
If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
Howdya do, howdya do, howdya do?

Howdya do, howdya do, howdya do?
Howdya do-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

Download this song at Amazon.com

Music! Music! Music! - Teresa Brewer

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Mar. 18 - Mar. 24



You may recognize this song, even if you haven't heard this particular version of it. It has been recorded in numerous versions since Teresa Brewer's popular recording. Bill Haley & His Comets recorded an instrumental version, but I can't seem to find any audio of that version. If you find one, please tell me in the comments.

Lyrics:

Put another nickel in
In the nickelodeon
All I want is having you
And music, music, music

I'd do anything for you
Anything you'd want me to
All I want is kissin' you
And music, music, music

Closer, my dear, come closer
The nicest part of any melody
Is when you're dancing close to me

So, put another nickel in
In the nickelodeon
All I want is lovin' you
And music, music, music

[Instrumental Interlude]

Put another nickel in
In the nickelodeon
All I want is having you
And music, music, music

I'd do anything for you
Anything you'd want me to
All I want is kissin' you
And music, music, music

Closer, my dear, come closer
The nicest part of any melody
Is when you're dancing close to me

So, put another nickel in
In the nickelodeon
All I want is lovin' you
And music, music, music

"C'mon, everybody
Put some nickels in
And keep that old Nickelodeon playing"

Music, Music, Music
Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
And music, music, music

Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
And music, music, music

Lyrics quoted from Lyricstime.com.

Shamefully, I must admit that until I really listened to this song, I thought that "Nickelodeon" was just the name of a TV channel. Then again, English is not my first language..

Download Music! Music! Music! at Amazon.com

The Cry Of The Wild Goose - Frankie Laine

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Mar. 11 - Mar. 17



This is our second Frankie Laine song on the billboard top. Sorry about the awful sound quality.

Lyrics:

My heart knows what the wild goose knows,
I must go where the wild goose goes.
Wild goose, brother goose, which is best?
A wanderin' fool or a heart at rest?

Tonight I heard the wild goose cry,
Wingin' north in the lonely sky.
Tried to sleep, it weren't no use,
'Cause I am a brother to the old wild goose,

(Oh, my heart knows what the wild goose knows,)
(And I must go where the wild goose goes.)
Wild goose, brother goose, which is best?
A wanderin' fool or a heart at rest?

Woman was kind and true to me.
She thinks she loves me, the more fool she.
She's got a love that ain't no use,
To love a brother of the old wild goose.

(My heart knows what the wild goose knows,)
(And I must go where the wild goose goes.)
Wild goose, brother goose, which is best?
A wanderin' fool or a heart at rest?
(Oh, you wild goose.)

The cabin is warm and the snow is deep,
I got a woman who lies asleep.
She'll wake at tomorrow's dawn,
She'll find, poor critter, that her man is gone.
(Oh, you wild goose.)

My heart knows what the wild goose knows,
I must go where the wild goose goes.
Wild goose, brother goose, which is best?
A wanderin' fool or a heart at rest?
Let me fly, let me fly, let me fly away.

Spring is comin' and the ice will break,
I can't linger for a woman's sake.
She'll see a shadow pass overhead.
She'll find my feathers beside my bed.

(My heart knows what the wild goose knows,)
(And I must go where the wild goose goes.)
Wild goose, brother goose, which is best?
A wanderin' fool or a heart at rest?

(Wild goose, wild goose, wild goose, wild goose.)

Lyrics quoted from Cowboylyrics.com.

Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy - Red Foley

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Feb. 11 - Mar. 10



Lyrics:

Have you ever passed the corner of Forth and Grand?
Where a little ball o' rhythm has a shoe-shine stand
People gather 'round and they clap their hands
He's a great big bundle o' joy
He pops the boogie woogie rag
The Chattanoogie shoe-shine boy

He charges you a nickel just to shine one shoe
He makes the oldest kind o' leather look like new
You feel as though you wanna dance when he gets through
He's a great big bundle o' joy
He pops the boogie woogie rag
The Chattanoogie shoe-shine boy

It's a wonder that the rag don't tear
The way he makes it pop
You ought to see him fan the air
With his hoppity-hippity-hippity-hoppity-hoppity-hippity-hop

He opens up for business when the clock strikes nine
He likes to get up early when they're feelin' fine
Everybody gets a little rise 'n shine
With the great big bundle o' joy
He pops the boogie woogie rag
The Chattanoogie shoe-shine boy

------ instrumental break ------

It's a wonder that the rag don't tear
The way he makes it pop
Just listen to him fan the air
Here he goes!

He opens up for business when the clock strikes nine
He likes to get up early when they're feelin' fine
Everybody gets a little rise 'n shine
With the great big bundle o' joy
He pops the boogie woogie rag
The Chattanoogie shoe-shine boy

The Chattanoogie shoe-shine boy

Lyrics quoted from Lyricsdownload.com.

I Can Dream, Can't I - Andrews Sisters

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Jan. 14 - Feb. 10

I was unable to find any good video or audio for this song. The best I could come up with was this snippet on Lastfm.se. Click the play button on the media player in the column to the right.

If you can find a better audio or video, please tell me in the comments.

Lyrics:

I can see
No matter how near you'll be
You'll never belong to me
But I can dream, can't I?
Can't I pretend that I'm locked in the bend of your embrace?
For dreams are just like wine
And I am drunk with mine

I'm aware
My heart is a sad affair
There's much disillusion there
But I can dream, can't I?
Can't I adore you
Although we are oceans apart?
I can't make you open your heart
But I can dream, can't I?

I'm aware
My heart is a sad affair
There's much disillusion there
But I can dream, can't I?
Can't I adore you
Although we are oceans apart?
I can't make you open your heart
But I can dream, can't I?

(dream on, dream on, dream on)

Lyrics quoted from Allthelyrics.com.

Since I can't post a full audio for this song, I'll move forward the posting of the next song instead. It will be posted during the day.

Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Jan. 7 - Jan. 13



In the real world, we're nowhere near Christmas, but our time machine is currently passing by January 1950, so this is the perfect time for a Christmas song. This song, that is still popular to this day, was not originally written and performed by Gene Autry, but he played a big part in it's popularization. For more reference on this song and the story behind it, see the Wikipedia article.

Lyrics:

You know Dasher and Dancer
And Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid
And Donner and Blitzen.
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows
All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
Rudolph with your nose so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?
Then how the reindeer loved him
And they shouted out with glee
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
You'll go down in history!"

Download this song at Amazon.com

Language problems

Some parts of the Blogspot template refuse to translate to English. I keep changing, saving and reloading, but those Swedish words just won't go away. So for the sake of overclarification, here's a miniature glossary:

Kommentarer - Comments
Etiketter - Labels, tags

Update: Problem solved. If you find any other strange, seemingly foreign words, or other problems, please let me know in the comments.

Mule Train - Frankie Laine

Billboard Magazine's #1 Single Nov. 26, 1949 - Jan. 6, 1950



Lyrics:

Mule train, yeah, yeah.
Mule train: clippetty-clopping over hill and plain.
Seems as how they’ll never stop.
Clippetty-clop, clippetty-clop, clippetty, clippetty,
clippetty, clippetty, clippetty-clopping along.

There’s a plug of chaw tobaccy for a rancher in Corolla;
A guitar for a cowboy way out in Arizona;
A dress of callico for a pretty Navajo.
Get along mule, get along.

Mule train, yeah, yeah.
Mule train: clippetty-clopping along the mountain chain.
Seems as though they're gonna recah the top.
Clippetty-clop, clippetty-clop, clippetty, clippetty,
clippetty, clippetty, clippetty-clopping along.

There’s some cotton thread and needle for the folks away out yonder.
A shovel for a miner who left his home to wander.
Some rheumatism pills for the settlers in the hills.
Get along mule, get along.

Mule train, yeah, yeah.
Mule train: clippetty-clopping through the wind and rain.
They'll keep going till they drop.
Clippetty-clop, clippetty-clop, clippetty, clippetty,
clippetty, clippetty, clippetty-clopping along.

There’s a letter full of sadness and it’s black around the border.
A pair of boots for someone who had them made to order.
A Bible in the pack for the Reverend Mr Black.
Get along mule, get along.

Get along mule, get along. (Mule train.)
Get along, get along.

Lyrics quoted from Cowboylyrics.com.

The year 1950

1950 was the start of the fast changes that would be seen in the next 2 decades , the great depression was becoming a faint memory and families were moving out to the suburbs, kids watched howdy doody on 12 inch black and white TV sets and spent Saturday afternoons watching cartoons at Cinema matinees, times were gentler with little violence and the consumer revolution was about to start in a big way, and the man of the household became the sole breadwinner. The median family income was $3,300 a year and milk was still delivered to the doorstep.

Quoted from Thepeoplehistory.com

The Musical Time Machine

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard the Musical Time Machine bound from 1950 to present time. Please be seated with your monitors in an upright position and your speakers turned on. We will shortly be leaving the gate and take off for present time. We will show in-trip music videos and you will be able to listen to audio using your headphones or speakers. We expect to arrive at present time in January 2012. Once again, welcome aboard and thank you for choosing the Musical Time Machine for your journey.

Yes, it is quite a journey that's about to begin. I got the idea when thinking about how I, due to my relatively low age of 27 years, have missed out on so much in the course of musical history, and how little I actually know about the music that dates back to before my teenage years. Even though the songs are still out there to be listened to, just having heard all of them would not put them in the right context.

I started fantasizing about going back in time and actually reliving musical history the way it unfolded. That way I would get to put the songs into their proper context. Unfortunately, there's no way to go back in time. Or is there?

Well, even if there's no way to send our bodies back in time, at least we can let our minds out on a little journey. So I decided to go back to old billboards and listen my way through musical history. However, even though reducing focus to billboard number one songs, this proved to be a rather heavy task to take on by myself, so I decided to invite you to join me on my journey. And now, here we are. So please, turn on your speakers, and we're ready for takeoff.