King of the River is a song heard in the 1955 Davy Crockett serial and in the 1956 compilation film, Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. It is heard in the fourth episode "Davy Crockett and the Keelboat Race".
Background[]
It is first heard during the part where Davy Crockett and Georgie approach the docks to meet Mike Fink where it is sung by an offscreen chorus. It is heard again during the scene where Davy sets out in a challenge against Mike after the judge fires the cannon to start the challenge during a keelboat race, where Mike Fink's guitarist starts the music as Fink and his fellow crew sing along.
Lyrics[]
Listen to the thunder
Hear the winds roar
Hurricane's a-comin'
Board up the door
Load up the cannon
Call out the law
Worstest calamity that folks ever saw
Girls run and hide
Brave men shiver
He's Mike Fink
King of the river
Oh, he's a ring-tail roarer
And a tough old alligator
Oh, he's a bull-nosed bully
And a real depopulator
Oh, what a deep-divin' catfish
That always comes up dry
He's gonna live forever
Born too mean to die
Mike Fink: Listen to the thunder
Hear the winds roar
Hurricane's a-comin'
Board up the door
Load up the cannon
Call out the law
Worstest calamity that folks ever saw
Girls run and hide
Brave men shiver
I'm Mike Fink
King of the river
Chorus: Oh, he's a ring-tail roarer
And a tough old alligator
Oh, he's a bull-nosed bully
And a real depopulator
Oh, what a fightin' devil
He'll spit right in your eye
He's gonna live forever
Born too mean to die
Listen to the thunder
Hear the winds roar
Hurricane's a-comin'
Board up the door
Load up the cannon
Call out the law
Worstest calamity that folks ever saw
Girls run and hide
Brave men shiver
I'm Mike Fink
King of the river
Oh, he's a ring-tail roarer
And a tough old alligator
Oh, he's a bull-nosed bully
And a real depopulator
Oh, what a deep-divin' catfish
That always comes up dry
He's gonna live forever
Born too mean to die
Dug the whole Ohio
With my big toe
Filled 'er up with water
Made the critter flow
Stomped out the valley
Scraped up the bridge
We'd cross the river
'Cause I don't trust no bridge
Invented earthquakes
Made mountains quiver
I'm Mike Fink
King of the river
Oh, he can out-talk a lawyer
Scare a witch into a faint
Oh, he can out-shout thunder
And there's none say that he cay-ain't
Oh, what a fightin' devil
He'll spit right in your eye
He's gonna live forever
Born too mean to die
Mike Fink: Listen to the thunder
Hear the winds roar
Hurricane's a-comin'
Board up the door
Load up the cannon
Call out the law
Worstest calamity that folks ever saw
Girls run and hide
Brave men shiver
I'm Mike Fink
King of the river
Chorus: Oh, he's a ring-tail roarer
And a tough old alligator
Oh, he's a bull-nosed bully
And a real depopulator
Oh, what a deep-divin' catfish
That always comes up dry
He's gonna live forever
Born too mean to die
Davy Crockett: Got no use for fightin'
On the wrong side
Aim'd to stay with justice
So I'll have some pride
Fight for my country
Fight for the law
Leave the lives for others that shout themselves raw
Stickin' to the right
Havin' no fear
I'm Davy Crockett
King of the wild frontier
Chorus: Oh, he's a straight-tongued speaker
And a first-class artifier
Oh, he's a comet catcher
And his eyes, they spit blue fire
Oh, what a Tennessee terror
A-towerin' to the sky
He's gonna live forever
His'try books don't lie