Discover America

Lyrics taken from the Warner Bros. Records album release #46 166. All reprinted lyrics published by Carifta Co. except "Occapella" and "Riverboat" published by Seasaint Music, B.M.I., "Sailin' Shoes" published by Naked Snake Music, B.M.I., "Introduction" published by Found Farm Ballads, "Stars And Stripes Forever" (Public Domain). Used by kind permission.

Jack Palance

(Mighty Sparrow)

Drinking in the nightclub with my bosom friend
Who come down to spend the weekend
When I look back who'd you think I see
But one of my family
Good heavens I shout
Mama Jacob, what the France you doin' in a night club
Same time the rock and roll start to play
She hold onto a Yankee and break away

Introduction

(Samuel Alter)

Bing Crosby

(public domain/arr. & adapted by Van Dyke Parks)

Of all the world's famous singers that I have ever seen
On the moving screen
Lawrence Tibbett and Nelson Eddie
Donald Nobis and Morton Downey
Kenny Baker and Rudy Vallee
But the crooning prodigy is Bing Crosby
Bing has a way of singing with his very heart and soul
Which captivates the world
His millions of listeners never fail to rejoice
At his golden voice
They love to hear his "La Di Dah Di dah"
So sweetly with such harmony
Thrilling the world with his melody

I wonder if you heard him singing the song
"May I Be the One to Say I"
I wonder if you heard again
"Everytime It Rains It Rains Pennies from Heaven"
But "Love Thy Neighbor" was a most thrilling song
And "Git Along Little Dogie Git Along"
Unanimously three cheers for
Mr. Bing Crosby

Steelband Music

(public domain/arr. & adapted by Van Dyke Parks)

We have captains like Filo James and Ellie Manette
Arthur Byer, Neville Jules and Junior Pouchette
Kenrick George, David Edwards I must mention
Anthony Williams and Michigan
They are giants musically
And their names ought to go down in history

The steelband music is really sweet
You get that rhythm in every beat
The steel the grater and the oil drum
Will make you jump up and make you hum
It's fantastic in every sense
The music yet get from these instruments

The dominant chord from the guitar man
The prominent note on the tenor pan
Music in the place
But it's hell to keep up the pace with the bass

The Four Mills Brothers

(public domain/arr. & adapted by Van Dyke Parks)

Among the singers on the moving screen
The negroes are the best ever heard or seen
Among the singers on the moving screen
The negroes are best ever heard or seen
Morton Downey went to a singing school
But the four Mills brothers are sweet and cool
And I ain't got nobody, nobody cares for me. Nobody cares.

For those of you have seen "The Big Broadcast"
Cab Calloway was unsurpassed
From mystery pictures Bela Lugosi
And relax with Mr.Crosby
Mae West, of course, is a fair piece singer
I still prefer to hear the Four Mills Brothers in
"I ain't got nobody, nobody cares for me. Nobody cares"

Be Careful

(public domain/arr. & adapted by Van Dyke Parks)

At the age of nine my father said to me
Son you're growing fine I'm very proud to see
Soon a man you'll be with all the zest for life
But your greatest test will be to choose a wife

Be careful, son be careful. All that glitters isn't gold
Be careful. Son be careful, movin' round toward the young and the old
You must watch them twice
That is my advice
You'll find they're nice from far, but far from nice.

Marriage is not a sport, it is no game to play
Once they have you caught, it's hard to get away
Behind every great man there's a woman, that's true
But she has a hand in every downfall too
Every lady is a woman though nature's act
But every woman is not a lady and that is a fact!
To comprehend the difference it will take a lot,
For they both pretend to be what they are not.

John Jones

(public domain/arr. & adapted by Van Dyke Parks)

John Jones, you son of a gun
You call yourself a big big man
And stil you try to kill my hand

John Jones, you son of a gun

Well I don't like a man who tries to belittle me
And I don't like a man who tries to kill my hand
John Jones, you son of a gun

FDR In Trinidad

(public domain/arr. & adapted by Van Dyke Parks)

When Roosevelt came to the Land of the Hummingbird
Shouts of welcome wre heard
"Hummingbird, Hummingbird, Hummingbird"
His visit to their island is bound to be
An epoch in local history
Definitely marking the new era
Between Trinidad and America

We understand that the president had just been
On a visit to Brazil and the Argentine
With Mr. Cordell Hull in attendance
There they took part in a peace conference

Struck by his modest style
We were intrigued by the famous Roosevelt smile
In fact everybody was glad
To welcome Roosevelt to Trinidad

We were privileged to see the democratic
President of the great republic
With his charm and his genial personality
And his wonderful urbanity
To stop war and atrocity
And make the world safe for democracy
The greatest event of the century
In the interest of suffering humanity

Port of Spain threw open her gates
To the President of the United States
In fact everybody was glad
To welcome Roosevelt to Trinidad

Sweet Trinidad

(public domain/arr. & adapted by Van Dyke Parks)

Sweet Trinidad, sweet sweet Trinidad
darling keep the home fires burning
Use gas, don't burn any wood

Well, I've traveled the USA from north to south
I didn't meet a single girl to shout about
They worked me very hard but they paid me good
I put on a little weight eating Yankee food

From Miami to New York to Los Angeles
Wherever I play the people mighty pleased,
Yankee dollar real appeals to me
Never forget sweet "la Trinity"

I'll remember
Sweet Trinidad, sweet sweet Trinidad
Darling, keep your home fires burning
Use gas, don't burn any wood

Occapella

(Allen Toussaint)

There's music in the streets
There's music everywhere
A little old soul beat
There's dancing everywhere
I would tell the whole world
Tell them if I could
To add a little song into each life
It's finger snappin' good

Pardon me, but you could use it
We're goin' to make a little music
You got soul now don't you lose it
We're goin' to make a little music
Everything's going to be mellow
People just a singin' occapella
People just a singin' occapella

There's music in the street
There's muisc in the air
A little old soul beat
There's dancin' everywhere
I would tell the whole world
Tell them if I could
To add a little song into each life
It's finger snappin' good

Sailin' Shoes

(Lowell George)

There's a lady in a turban by a cocaine tree
She does that dance so rhythmically
She's a laughin' and singin' and havin' a time
And boy that cocaine tree looks fine.

Chorus
Put on your sailin' shoes
Put on your sailin' shoes
Everyone will start to cheer
When you put on your sailin' shoes

Doctor doctor I feel so bad
This is the worst day I've ever had
He says "Have you this misery a very long time?
'Cause if you if I'll lay it on the line."

Riverboat

(Allen Toussaint)

Big wheel just a keep on turning
And the fire just a keep on burning
Big boat just a keep on rocking
Opportunitiy just keep on knocking
Time dies tryin' to fly by
Gotta grain of love in my eye
On land they're fighting man to man
Tryin' to beat each other if they can

Riverboat just a keep on chuggin'
We just keep right on huggin'
We got love yes we have we got love

Rain just a keep on pouring
Love just a keep on growing
Opportunity knocking
Big boat just a keep a rocking
Riverboat just keep on chugging, listen
We just keep a right on huggin' and kissin'
We got love yes we have we got love

Big wheel just a keep on turning
And the fire just a keep on burning
Big boat just keep on rocking
Opportunuity just keep on knocking

Riverboat keep on chuggin' listen
We just keep right on huggin' and kissin'
We got love yes we have we got love

Ode To Tobago

(Lord Kitchener/ arr. & adapted Van Dyke Parks)

Come follow me down to a tiny land
Things to see, friends to meet; you would understand
Darlin' get up, let us pack up
For the journey it's a nonstop
It's a date
Sweetheart don't be late

Come, let me go, let me go to Tobago
That paradise, found by Robinson Crusoe
And it is said, it's the land of tomorrow
Princess Margaret say, come Tobago for holiday
Now the whole world say, come Tobago for holiday

Your native friend surely would be a host
And show you some of the beauties from coast to coast
As you look down curiously at the gray sand and the blue sea
You'll agree, it's just heavenly

For rare beauty, well, it's my belief
There is no other place like the Buccoo Reef
Where the fishes seems to gather
Just to welcome every stranger
It is grand
On this Crusoe land

Your Own Comes First

(Lord Kitchener/arr.& adapted VDP)

If I talk again it could drive me mad
I try to talk to the people of Trinidad
If I talk again it could set me mad
I'm tired if talkin' to the people of Trinidad
All kinds of people come and doin' well
And you the Trinidadians only catchin' hell
How many times do you want to be told
Your own comes first all over the world

If you think I lie, I invite you please
Just take a trip through the West Indies
Make your first stop at Grenada
Tell them that you come to look for labor
If you miss and say you're from Trinidad
They lick you from Grenada down to Fyzabad
But you can't blame them on a whole
My friend, that's the policy of the world

So, Granadians for Granadians
Jamaicians for Jamaicians
Even Barbados take the same route
Trinidadians, buck up and follow suit
Well now you really lookin' for blows
If you think you goin' anchor in Barbados
The Bajuns goin' tell you you bloomin' fast
Don't you know Bajuns first and outsiders last
Then you heist your anchor to Jamaica
Feelin' that your chances might be better
But as I've led you to understand
Boy, we only have work here for Jamaicans

I'm not all selfish, I love to give
And I believe in the slogan live and let live
If the other islands aren't doin' that
Well I don't see why we should be Miss Howard's cat
It's time to go into the reverse
Do like other nations put your people first
You must do as you are told
Or you would be the laughing stock of the world

G-Man Hoover

(public domain/arr.& adapted VDP)

A B C D E F G G-Man G-Man Hoover
Rat tat tat tat rat tat tat tat rat tat tat tat
Rat tat tat G-Man Hoover
Rat tat tat tat rat tat tat tat rat tat tat tat
Rat tat tat G-Man Hoover

Criminals come but they have one way to go
Gangsters are dumb for by now they ought to know
Stick with care or they gang you over there
Hoover will bring them to the electric chair
A B C D E F G G-Man G-Man Hoover
Young or smart, cruel
Had no heart, fool
You were bad he was smoother
What a lad G-Man Hoover
Rat tat tat tat rat tat tat tat rat tat tat tat
Rat tat tat G-man Hoover
Stick up a bank grab the dough get out of town
Guess the cops come for your love to mow them down
Shave off your beard change the color of your hair
Step out the door there's hoover waiting there
G-Man G-Man Hoovee
You can go now
Don't dare go now
It's a frame you're a loser
To that game of G-Man Hoover
Rat tat tat tat rat tat tat tat rat tat tat tat
Rat tat tat G-Man Hoover

Kidnap a child 'cuz to you he's just a brat
His mama's wild she's afraid you'll use your gat
Money's your aim then you'll take it on the lam
Mud is your name Hoover always gets his man
A B C D E F G G-Man G-Man Hoover

Stars And Stripes Forever

(John Philip Sousa)