General Custer - Tom Paxton

General Custer told me

We were going for a ride

Over by the Big Horn river

Where the water is deep and wide

Soon as I get my hair done

He said, «We will win the war

Go on out and tell the boys

What they are fighting for»

And he said, «A-give somebody a medal

Give somebody a three-day pass

Tell 'em 'bout a light at the end of the tunnel

And tell 'em to hold their sass

And pass me my lookin' glass»

Out in the buffalo moonlight

I thought I heard a bird

One old Indian fighter went pale

Said, «What was that I heard

Sixteen thousand nightingales

Stomping through the pass

Tell that idiot matinee fool

To get us out and fast»

And he yelled, «A-give somebody a medal

Give somebody a three-day pass

Tell 'em 'bout a light at the end of the tunnel

And tell 'em to hold their sass

And pass me my lookin' glass»

Dawn come up like taxes

And what d’you suppose I see

Every Indian in history

Tapping his toes at me

Things was lookin' shaky

Some of them boys was large

And what do you suppose old Custer done

You know, he hollered, «Charge!»

Nobody told the Indians

Who old Custer was

They commenced to stick to us

Like peaches stick to fuzz

Nobody told the Indians

They was supposed to run

And just as they did Custer in

What do you suppose he done

He hollered, «Give somebody a medal

A-give somebody a three-day pass

Tell 'em 'bout light at the end of the tunnel

And tell 'em to hold their sass

And pass me my lookin' glass»