Lyrics

THE DERBY SONG
WELL MY GREAT GRANDFATHER HAD A HAT MADE UP IN DETROIT IN ‘43
LOUIS’ CUSTOM HATTERS MADE HIM A HAT THAT WAS JUST A LITTLE BIGGER THAN A DERBY
40 YEARS LATER I WAS 10 YEARS OLD AND I FOUND THAT HAT BOX ON THE SHELF
IT FIT REAL GOOD AND I HAD A BIG HEAD SO I KEPT IT FOR MYSELF

I TORE OFF THE FEATHER AND THE BAND I LIKED IT BETTER THAT WAY
I WORE THAT HAT FOR 20 YEARS ‘TILL IT WAS STOLEN ONE SAD NIGHT
FROM A GIG AT THE UP AND UNDER PUB IN MILWAUKEE I WAS REALY SAD
BUT THE DERBY HANGING IN THE HAT SHOP THAT I WENT TO DIDN’T LOOK TO BAD I’LL TAKE THAT DERB

THE NEXT WEEK WAS VERY FIRST TIME I HEARD JOHN HARTFORD PLAY
THE JULIA BELLE SWAIN FROM THE MARK TWANG RECORD IT REALLY BLEW ME AWAY
AFTER THE SONG I TURNED TO MY BUDDY AND ASKED HIM WHO IS THAT
AND HE SHOWED ME A RECORD WITH A PICTURE ON THE COVER OF JOHN WEARING THE SAME KIND OF HAT

THAT SAME LUCKY DAY I SAW THE WAY JOHN DANCED WHILE HE PLAYED IN A VIDEO
I THOUGHT I’D TRY IT TOO, SINCE I COULDN’T PUT MY BAND ON THE ROAD
MAYBE THAT DANCE’LL BE AN EASIER THING TO DO
SO I WENT OUT AND GOT A LITTLE PIECE OF PLYWOOD AND A PAIR OF DANCING SHOES AND I GOT TO WORK

I WAS ONSTAGE PLAYING A SHOW WHEN A FELLA WALKED RIGHT UP TO ME
HE WAS WEARING A DERBY HAT JUST LIKE MINE AND EVERYBODY THERE COULD SEE
HE BUMBED HIS HAT INTO MINE AND SAID TO THE PEOPLE THERE WHADDAYA SEE?
SOMEBODY IN THE BACK ROW FIGURED IT OUT STOOD UP AND YELLED
DEMOLITION DERBY

BUT I STILL MISS MY GREAT GRANDFATHER’S HAT
OLD THINGS OLD PEOPLE AND PLACES TO, THAT’S WHERE THE GOOD STUFF’S AT
IT CAN BE A LONG ROAD LEADING BACK TO YOURSELF
SOMETHING SURE STARTED WHEN I LOOKED UP AT THAT HAT BOX ON THE SHELF
IT ALL GOT STARTED WHEN I TOOK THAT BIG OL’ HATBOX OFF THE SHELF