General Custer Songtext
von Tom Paxton

General Custer told me
We were goin′ 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 fightin' for"

And he said to give somebody a medal
And 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
Stompin′ through the pass
Tell that idiot Matinee fool
To get us out and fast

He yelled to give somebody a medal
And 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 taxi
What do you suppose I see?
Every Indian in the history
Tappin' his toes at me
Things was lookin′ shaky
Some of them boys were large
What do you suppose old Custer done?
You know he hollered "Charge!"


But nobody told the Indians
Who old Custer was
They commenced to stick to us
Like peaches stick to fuzz
Nobody told the Indians
They were'sposed to run
But just as they did, Custer grinned
What do you suppose he done?

He hollered to give somebody a medal
And 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