The Deadwood Stage

Doris Day

About The Deadwood Stage

"The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away!)" is a song in the 1953 film Calamity Jane, written by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster, and performed by Doris Day. It was also used in the London stage show Calamity Jane in 2003 and the musical based on Doris Day's greatest hits, A Sentimental Journey. The song's opening lines are: Oh! The Deadwood Stage is a-rollin' on over the plains, with the curtains flappin' and the driver slappin' the reins. Beautiful sky! A wonderful day! Whip crack-away!, Whip crack-away!, Whip crack-away!It goes on to contain a macabre line about Wild Bill Hickok, "on his gun there's more than twenty-seven notches". In 1957, Clint Walker sings the song in an episode of The Conspirators on Cheyenne. In 2010, Australian singer Melinda Schneider recorded the song for her Doris Day tribute album Melinda Does Doris. 


Year:
2011
3:16
#3

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Oh, the Deadwood stage is a-rolling on over the plains
With the curtains flappin' and the driver a-snappin' the reins
A beautiful sky, a wonderful day
Whip-crack-away, whip-crack-away, whip-crack-away

Oh, the Deadwood stage is a-headin' on over the hills
Where the Injun arrows are thicker than porcupine quills
Dangerous land, no time to delay                                      
So, whip-crack-away, whip-crack-away, whip-crack-away

We're headin' straight for town, loaded down with a fancy cargo
Care of Wells & Fargo, Illinois, boy

Oh, the Deadwood stage is a-comin' on over the crest
Like a homing-pigeon that's a-hankerin' after its nest
Twenty-three miles we've covered today
So, whip-crack-away, whip-crack-away, whip-crack-away

The wheels go turning round, homeward-bound
Can't you hear them hummin'
Happy times are comin' for to stay, hey

We'll be home tonight by the light of the silvery moon
And my heart's a-thumpin' like a mandolin a-plunkin' a tune
When I get home, I'm fixin' to stay
So, whip-crack-away, whip-crack-away, whip-crack-away
Whip-crack away, whip-crack-away, whip-crack-away

Introducing Henry Miller
Just as busy as a fizzy sasparilla
Ain't a showman any smarter operates the Golden Garter
When the cream of Deadwood City comes to dine
And I'm glad to say he's a very goof friend of mine
Hi Joe, say, where d'ya get them fancy clothes?
I know, off some fella's laundry line
Hi Beau, aren't you a prairie rose
Smellin' like a watermelon vine
Here's a man the sheriff watches
On his gun there's more than twenty-seven notches
On the draw there's no one faster and you're flirting with disaster
When Bill Hickok's reputation you malign
And I'm glad to say he's a very good friend of a friend of mine

Oh, my throat's as dry as a desert thistle in May
In the Golden Garter, gonna wet my whistle today
Last to the bar's a three-legged crow
Set 'em up Joe, set 'em up Joe, set 'em up Joe
Set 'em up Joe

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Doris Day

Doris Day (born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff, April 3, 1922) is an American actress, singer, and animal rights activist, who began her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording, "Sentimental Journey", in 1945. After leaving the Les Brown & His Band of Renown to try a solo career, she started her long-lasting partnership with Columbia Records, which would remain her only recording label. The contract lasted from 1947 to 1967, and included more than 650 recordings, making Day one of the most popular and acclaimed singers of the 20th century. In 1948, after being persuaded by Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne and her agent at the time, Al Levy, she auditioned for Michael Curtiz, which led to her being cast in the femal… more »

6 fans

Written by: PAUL FRANCIS WEBSTER, SAMMY FAIN

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Song Origin
"The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away)" is a popular song by Doris Day which was originally written for the 1953 film "Calamity Jane."
Context in Film
In the musical film, the song is quite significant as it is the one Doris Day's character, Calamity Jane, sings when she first appears, signifying her sung introduction.
Composer and Lyricist
The song was written by acclaimed Broadway composer and lyricist team Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster.
Chart Performance
Although chart details for the period are not comprehensively recorded, the song has remained one of Doris Day's most popular and well-remembered numbers.
Awards
The same songwriting team, Fain and Webster, ended up winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song for another track in the film, "Secret Love."
Concept
The song centers around the theme of the Wild West, capturing the spirit of the American frontier and the perilous journey across the country by Gold Rush settlers.
Cultural Impact
The song uses a whip crack sound in its chorus, "whip-crack-away," which is part of its unforgettable rhythm and appeal and has since been widely imitated in popular culture.
Cover Versions
Several artists have since performed their own interpretations of "The Deadwood Stage," such was its popularity. This includes versions by artists as varied as Howard Keel and Jane McDonald.
The Doris Day TV Show
The song was also performed by Day herself in a number of her later television specials and appearances, thus maintaining its popularity over several decades.
Musical Notation
The song is written in common time and played at a fast tempo, perfectly capturing the spirit of excitement and adventure of the Wild West.
Importance in Doris Day's Career
Alongside "Que Sera, Sera," "The Deadwood Stage" is one of Doris Day's signature songs and played a significant role in establishing her as a prominent figure in mid-20th century popular music.

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