American Unhistory

Stan Freberg Presents The United States Of America, Part One; Stan Freberg

My friend Bud knows more songs than anybody I’ve ever known. We worked together on the Delta Queen steamboat. I once heard him say that he owns nearly twenty-thousand LPs. And not only that, he knows the words and music to virtually all of the songs that they archive. He possesses one of those minds that can latch onto a song in record time (HA!) and retain it forever. It doesn’t matter whether he sang a song last month or last decade, when it’s time to sing it, he has it.

Bud would do his own show on one of the evenings during each cruise. Just he and his guitar. He would start off singing a couple of his own favorites. Then he would do a section where he would start a song, then stop … and let the audience finish the lyric:

Bud: Little Sir Echo, how do you do?

Audience: Hello.

Bud: Hello.

Audience: Hello.

Bud: Hello.

And …

Bud: Did you ever see a dream walking?

Audience: Well, I did.

Bud: Did you ever hear a dream talking?

Audience: Well, I did.

The audience always knew the words.

Then he would sing a series of songs that had hilarious endings, like this favorite of mine:

Last night I sang a song beneath your window

My song was filled with elegance and love

The moon was shining bright as I sang to you last night

And the little stars were twinkling high above

My song was filled with eloquence and romance

I crooned to you beneath the silvery moon

Last night I sang a song beneath your window

And today I learned you moved away last June

Yes, Bud has comedic timing. I’ve never heard anyone tell a story or a joke better than Bud.

One day, while eating lunch, he mentioned Stan Freberg. I told him, I love Stan Freberg. Then he started spouting off hilarious lines that I’d never heard before. Bud, where is this stuff from? “You’ve never heard ‘Stan Freberg Presents The United States Of America’?” No. “When we get back to New Orleans, you’ve got to pick up a copy of this masterpiece. As much as I love ‘St. George And The Dragonet’, ‘The United States Of America’ tops anything he’s ever done.”

And Bud was not wrong. With the witty and brilliant composer/arranger Billy May at the music helm, and a cast with the likes of Paul Frees, Jesse White, Peter Leeds and June Foray, this musical satire of American history has all of the quality of a staged Broadway show and does nothing more than, and nothing short of, poke some innocent fun at some patriotic American icons who have grown a little stiff over the years. I think of it as the Dean Martin Roast that Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross never got and would have enjoyed.

Like Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles”, this recording could never be made today. Too many ethnics groups would feel compelled to show offense. It’s what we do best anymore, isn’t it? I don’t go out of my way to be politically correct, although, I don’t want to hurt anyone, either. I try to be culturally color-blind. But I DO like red, white and blue.

Credits: To my friend Bud, for funny songs, funny stories, funny jokes, funny skits and a funny man. I leave you, my friend, with this final thought: If a man offends you, walk for a mile in his shoes. And if he still offends you, you’re a mile away and you’ve got his shoes.

Only one hundred days left! Top forty-five begins on August 23!