Ten Little Indians
The Beach Boys
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Ten little Indian boys The first little Indian gave squaw pretty feather (Little Indian boy) The second little Indian made her an Indian dollar (Fighting over a squaw) Well the third little Indian gave her moccasin leather (Little Indian boy) The squaw didn't like 'em at all The fourth little Indian took her riding in his big canoe (Little Indian boy) The fifth little Indian took her down the waterfall (Fighting over a squaw) The sixth little Indian taught the squaw how to woo-woo (Little Indian boy) But the squaw didn't like 'em at all One little, two little, three little Indians (Keep us humming we're the ten little Indians) Four little, five little, six little Indians (Keep us humming we're the ten little Indians) Seven little, eight little, nine little Indians (Keep us humming we're the ten little Indians) Ten little Indian boys The seventh little Indian took her over to his tee pee (Little Indian boy) The eighth little Indian tried to give her a love poem (Fighting over a squaw) The ninth little Indian said "You're my Kemosabe" (Little Indian boy) The squaw didn't like 'em at all The tenth little Indian said it really didn't matter (Little Indian boy) He acted like himself and he didn't look at her (Fighting over a squaw) The squaw didn't care if he never did a thing (Little Indian boy) Cause she loved the tenth Indian boy Loved the tenth Indian boy Loved the tenth Indian boy Loved the tenth Indian boy
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Written by: GARY USHER, BRIAN WILSON
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Song Origin"Ten Little Indians" is an American children's rhyme originally known as "Ten Little Injuns." The Beach Boys adapted it into a song in 1962, switching the Indians to 'boys'.
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Record LabelThe Beach Boys' version of "Ten Little Indians" was released under the Capitol Records label. This record company was renowned for producing some of the biggest hits of the last century.
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The Beach Boys Line-upAt the time when "Ten Little Indians" was written and recorded, the Beach Boys' line-up consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson; their cousin Mike Love; and friend Al Jardine.
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B-SideThe B-Side of "Ten Little Indians" vinyl record was the song "County Fair," another track from their debut album.
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Album Inclusion"Ten Little Indians" was one of the tracks included in the Beach Boys' debut album, "Surfin' Safari", which was released in the same year.
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Chart PerformanceThe song, unfortunately, failed to make a significant impact on the charts. It peaked at number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking one of the Beach Boys' lowest chart performances.
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Song WritingBoth songs on the "Ten Little Indians" record were written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher. Wilson is often considered the creative leader of the Beach Boys, while Usher was a regular collaborator in the band's early years.
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Album CoverThe cover of the "Surfin' Safari" album, which features "Ten Little Indians", shows the band members holding surfboards on the beach - an image that became synonymous with the Beach Boys' brand.
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Album RatingDespite the relative lack of success of "Ten Little Indians," the "Surfin' Safari" album as a whole was better received. It has a three-star rating on AllMusic.
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Song's ThemeThe lyrics of "Ten Little Indians" follows a count-down format, with each verse describing an event that reduces the number of 'boys'.
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ControversyThe original version of the song has been considered racially insensitive due to its depiction of Native Americans. For this reason, children's rhyme variations often change the 'Indians' to various other objects or animals. The Beach Boys replaced 'Indians' with 'boys' in their version.
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European ReleaseIn Europe, "Ten Little Indians" was released as the B-side to "Surfer Girl," one of the Beach Boys' most popular songs eventually.
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Citation
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"Ten Little Indians Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/3187266/The+Beach+Boys/Ten+Little+Indians>.
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