May 29, 2008
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1 Funny the stuff that comes in with the DN.
2 Yesterday, after having published and sending the DN to the proper corners of the Universe, I received an e-mail from me old friend and confidant Geoff, sometimes referred to as Goof.
3 He told me that there are WORDS to the Andy Griffith show song, and that some guy named Joe Ed Dick used to play the song as an intro to The Fish Report, which used to be broadcast at noon on KFJC 89.7, coincidentally the home of David Emory, my major source for political research.
4 Anyway, this led me to finding the entire song, which naturally, I did.
5 But we’ll get to that in a moment.
6 Tonight at a place called Blue Rock Shoot in Saratoga, California, Geoff will be playing bass in a band called The Other Jacksons. They appear tonight somewhere between 7 and 10 p.m.
7 I guarantee they will roll along beautifully and with a nice breezy feel.
8 Shameless plug? Nah. They’ll just kick your butt. But I thought I’d throw in Geoff’s shameless plug anyway.
9 Geoff also informed me yesterday that the theme song was officially called The Fishin’ Hole, and that it was sung by Andy Griffith.
10 AND we have the song right here for posterity.
11 So for the world of tomorrow, here is the official version of The Fishin’ Hole, which is also the most difficult song to whistle.
The Fishin’ Hole by Everett Sloane, Earle Hagen and Herbert Spencer – The Andy Griffith Show Lyrics
Well, now, take down your fishin’ pole and meet me at The Fishin’ Hole,
We may not get a bite all day, but don’t you rush away.
What a great place to rest your bones and mighty fine for skippin’ stones,
You’ll feel fresh as a lemonade, a-settin’ in the shade.
Whether it’s hot, whether it’s cool, oh what a spot for whistlin’ like a fool.
What a fine day to take a stroll and wander by The Fishin’ Hole,
I can’t think of a better way to pass the time o’ day.
We’ll have no need to call the roll when we get to The Fishin’ Hole,
There’ll be you, me, and Old Dog Trey, to doodle time away.
If we don’t hook a perch or bass, we’ll cool our toes in dewy grass,
Or else pull up a weed to chaw, and maybe set and jaw.
Hangin’ around, takin’ our ease, watchin’ that hound a-scratchin’ at his fleas.
Come on, take down your fishin’ pole and meet me at The Fishin’ Hole,
I can’t think of a better way to pass the time o’ day.12 I’ll bet nobody thought we could get this much mileage outta one song.
13 And I ain’t done yet.
14 First, here’s the full-length version. I hope it works for you:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/60s-music-andy-griffith-theme-earle-hagen/745608378
15 Okay, so I couldn’t find any version of Andy Griffith actually singing the song on You Tube, but I did stumble upon this odd piece that explains other retro shows that have theme songs with the lyrics cut:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ForgottenThemeTuneLyrics
16 And here’s a variation on a theme: this guy plays The Fishin’ Hole on guitar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3FMmthXfrY&feature=related
17 Well.
18 Did I say I couldn’t find a version of Andy Griffith singing The Fishin’ Hole on You Tube? Well it’s true, but I DID stumble upon an obscure audio of Andy singin’ the song for all to hear. So for your listening pleasure, I give you Andy Griffith singing The Fishin’ Hole. Are you ready to rock? Here you go:
http://www.rayfowler.org/2008/05/28/who-whistled-the-andy-griffith-theme-song/
19 I want to thank you dedicated fans of the DN who sent me some other versions of people playing this all sorts of different ways, but there were too many really to place on here this fine morning, especially since I’ve hit my insomniacal patterns which usually occur at the end of the year.
20 Once again we are past 3 a.m. as I compose these words. The end of the school year is a busy time, so I work events, come home, conk out, and then awaken to a computer screen with an unfinished DN. So time constraints are a factor.
21 But if you really want to have some computer fun, start looking up the various versions of the song. At some point, you’ll tire, but it’s sort of like fishin’.
22 Once in a while you’ll get a good catch, like Andy, above.
23 Well, that’s about it. Just like real fishing, I think I’m just gonna set my pole down and hope the fish jump into my boat. I need to catch a little shut-eye.
24 Hope this kept you mildly amused.
25 And good luck tonight Geoff. I’d love to pack my GIT-tar and jam, but duty calls.
26 Meanwhile, y’all have a mighty fine day.
27 Peace.
~H~
http://www.xanga.com/bharrington
