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The Elephant Riders Lyrics
I'll keep pulling on the towpath.
You keep floating on the river.
Yeah, until the day is done.
Keep on keeping on the low road,
Chesapeake and Ohio.
Because on the higher ground you will find
Elephant Riders to the northwest bring news from father.
Looking like it's always closing,
The Salty Dog is always open.
Here, I got an I.O.U.
Clickity clack clack, clickity clack clack,
Baltimore and Ohio,
Clickity clack clack, clickity clack clack,
Roll on, roll on.
On our way to Washington where work is done by men with gavels,
I heard a sound that just about Removed me from my filly's saddle.
Just outside of Antietam, where once there was a mighty battle,
I heard the rhythm of the hammers Beating the rail lines together.
Elephant Riders to the northwest bring news of battle.
Don't be eating all the hard tack.
Between we two there's half a small sack.
Still, we got miles to.
Giddy up pony, Giddy up pony,
Camptown Race is five miles long.
Giddy up pony, Giddy up pony,
Ride on, ride on.
On our way to Washington where work is done by men with gavels,
I heard a sound that just about removed me from my filly's saddle.
Just outside of Antietam, where once there was a mighty battle,
I heard the rhythm of the hammers beating the rail lines together.
Elephant Riders to the northwest bring news from father.
Elephant Riders to the northwest bring news of battle.
You keep floating on the river.
Yeah, until the day is done.
Keep on keeping on the low road,
Chesapeake and Ohio.
Because on the higher ground you will find
The Salty Dog is always open.
Here, I got an I.O.U.
Clickity clack clack, clickity clack clack,
Baltimore and Ohio,
Clickity clack clack, clickity clack clack,
Roll on, roll on.
I heard a sound that just about Removed me from my filly's saddle.
Just outside of Antietam, where once there was a mighty battle,
I heard the rhythm of the hammers Beating the rail lines together.
Between we two there's half a small sack.
Still, we got miles to.
Giddy up pony, Giddy up pony,
Camptown Race is five miles long.
Giddy up pony, Giddy up pony,
Ride on, ride on.
I heard a sound that just about removed me from my filly's saddle.
Just outside of Antietam, where once there was a mighty battle,
I heard the rhythm of the hammers beating the rail lines together.
Elephant Riders to the northwest bring news of battle.
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this song mostly references antebellum america in the early 19th century. this was a period of economic expansion for the US. lets explicate a few lines:
"I'll keep pulling on the towpath. You keep floating on the river."
here he is talking about the barges pulled down canals by horses on a towpath that goes beside the canal. it was a VERY common (and might i say effective and cheap) method of transporting large amounts of supplies before steamboats were widespread.
"Clickity clack clack, clickity clack clack, Baltimore and Ohio,"
this refers to the Baltimore to Ohio railroad built just before the civil war. often called the B&O.
yes, hardtack is a breadlike food for soldiers, but this song does not seem to be about soldiers at all. it was common for travelers to use this as well.
these facts seems to lead me to believe this song is about a traveling merchant who is witnessing the changes going on during the 1820s and 30s. he seems to be distraught about the fact that railroads are being built and might put him out of a job.
elephants referring to republicans doesnt really make any sense because there wasn't a republican party during this time. there actually wasnt really much of a party system at all until much later. i think that by elephants he means the large train engines.
clutch fucking rules.
"Clikkity clack clack" I think it sounds cool.
clickity clack clack, clickity clack clack Baltimore and Ohiooo does sound really cool. I love singing to this song I saw the music video and the guy that sings didn't appear at all what I had in mind. He is awesome. Giddy up pony, giddy up pony. Ride on, ride on.
I think the elephant riders comes from the myth that the King of Siam offered Abraham Lincoln some war elephants to assist the Union in the Civil War. This would make this song kind of an alternate-history version of the war that might have been.
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/443418-the-truth-about-thai-elephants-in-the-american-civil-war/
Elephants = Republicans...need I say more? I could be wrong here but could these boys talking about the Civil War? Or are they just saying nothing under the guise of politics?
i heard it is about some like they got into a thought in college about the armies using elephants in the civil war?
they used elephants ... thats crazy... good song
they recorded this in some southern generals house or something like that. i think the song is just a fictionol account of a fictionol battle, that would have been quit a sight to see.
I just made hard tack candy, I didn't eat it all.
I should have put vodka in it. Some people do. I have had cherry and vodka hard tack candy before.