You can blame Charity Chic for this one. He recently posted several versions of "Wanted Man", one of those songs that is essentially just a long list of place names. I mentioned in passing that I had a number of dodgy renditions of the similarly themed "I've Been Everywhere", and he dared me to prove it. I am sorry that the rest of you have to suffer the consequences.
Until I started preparing this post I had assumed that the American version of the song, which was first a hit for Hank Snow in 1962, was the original. But that is not the case. The first version was actually Australian, written by Geoff Mack in 1959 and popularised by Lucky Starr three years later. Hank heard Lucky's version and asked Geoff to rewrite it for the American market.
Since then, people all over the place have had a go at adapting it. We start with the Australian and American versions and then tote our packs around the roads of the UK, Ireland, Czechoslovakia, Catalonia and Cajun country before concluding our trip in the Netherlands.
"I've Been Everywhere" - Lucky Starr
"I've Been Everywhere" - Hank Snow
"I've Been Everywhere" - Kitty, Daisy & Lewis
"I've Been Everywhere" - The Raybone Experience
"Honzův Song" - Zelenáči
"Espinàs" - Vàlius
"I've Been Everywhere, Cher" - Choupique
"I've Seen Pubic Hair" - MacLean & MacLean
Let's leave the last word to the Wanted Man himself.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Superb Ernie -superb
ReplyDeleteThanks. Reminds me of 16 Rietfonteins by Des & Dawn Lindberg! Minnesota Scandinavian singer Jimmy Jenson did a version of I've been everywhere too: http://somelocalloser.blogspot.com/2011/08/jimmy-jenson.html
ReplyDeleteTheo. I had originally included "16 Rietfonteins" but deleted it rather than spoil the conceptual purity of the piece. Maybe some other time. Peep! Peep!
DeleteI saw MacLan&MacLean at the Edinburgh fringe about 35 years ago. Extremely funny when I was 18, but I'm not sure now........having said that this song is making me smile...laughing out loud now...maybe they are still funny after all
ReplyDeleteIn my head I've always have that ringing rejoinder that 'if you can't say owt positive then say now't' Right, that said, I've always steered clear of this song, not sure especially why but maybe it was a particular version that I didn't like but....having shot an ear to Hank Snow's rendition and in the blink of an eye I'm open again to this song! Fickle ole me!
ReplyDelete