THE GREAT RACE

[Sweetheart Tree]  -  [He Shouldn't-a, Hadn't-a, Oughtn't-a Swang on Me]

SWEETHEART TREE

Music by Henry Mancini
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Chorus

They say there's a tree in the forest, 
A tree that will give you a sign; 
Come along with me, 
to The Sweetheart Tree, 
Come and carve your name next to mine. 

They say if you kiss the right sweetheart, 
The one you've been waiting for, 
Big blossoms of white 
will burst into sight 
And your love will be true evermore.

HE SHOULDN'T-A, HADN'T-A,
OUGHTN'T-A SWANG ON ME

Music by Henry Mancini
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by Dorothy Previne

There were other two lyric transcriptions of this song, but I am presenting you the most accurate.

Submitted by Fred Kuentz, the best so far!

Movie Version

He sleeps out there, out where the coyotes wail
The reason he ain't at the bar with the boys
Makes quite a dismal tale ...

He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me
He oughtn't-a, shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, no, siree
You don't get many callers
Sleeping on the lone prairie
But he shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.

Way out West we're wild and wooly
In order to explain it fully:
We're tall grown, all grown,
All the men are hairy-chested
And all the women, double-breasted
We're lady-like until molested,
And then we're on our own!

He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.
He oughtn't-a shouldn't-a hadn't-a felt so free,
His wife gets the the insurance,
And I'm sorry as can be,
But he shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.

This here job is mighty trying,
Sometimes the room is fairly flying with
High balls, eyeballs
One got killed, somebody got 'im
Tore up the joint from top to bottom
I think I was that one that shot him
As near as I recall.

He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.
He massacred eight or nine men at the Lazy B!
He then took on the sheriff, and the sheriff's deputy,
But he shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.

All you boys remember Harry
The wrangler I was set to marry
A long man, strong man
One night he yells "I'm from Texas!"
And socks me in my solar plexus.
Well having normal, good reflexes,
I knocked him on his can!

He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a blacked my eye.I
'm really a lovable, peaceable kind of guy.
I wouldn't scare a rabbit and I couldn't harm a flea,
But he shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.

If this story has a moral,
It's: When you're looking for a quarrel or show down;
Slow down.
If by now, you haven't mastered
The gentle art of getting plastered,
You're just a Low-Down, you ain't mastered
The motto of our town!

You shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a start no fight
Our burying ground is a most impressive sight!
The message on them tombstones is as simple as can be:
He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me
He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.

The OST version

He sleeps out there, out where the coyotes wail
The reason he ain't at the bar with the boys
Makes quite a dismal tale ...

He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me
He oughtn't-a, shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, no, siree
You don't get many callers
Sleeping on the lone prairie
But he shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.

All you boys remember Harry
The wrangler I was set to marry
A long man,
(long man)
strong man
(strong man)
One night he yells "I'm from Texas!"
And socks me in my solar plexus.
Well having normal, good reflexes, I knocked him on his can!

He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a blacked my eye.
I'm really a lovable, peaceable kind of guy.
I wouldn't scare a rabbit and I couldn't harm a flea,
But he shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.

This here job is mighty trying,
Sometimes the room is fairly flying with
High balls, eyeballs
One got killed, somebody got 'im
Tore up the joint from top to bottom
I think I was that one that shot him
As near as I recall.

He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.
He massacred eight or nine men at the lazy bee!
He then took on the sheriff, and the sheriff's deputy,
But he shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.

If this story has a moral,
It's: When you're looking for a quarrel or show down;
(show down)
Slow down.
(slow down)
If by now, you haven't mastered
The gentle art of getting plastered,
You're just a Low-Down, you ain't mastered
The motto of our town!

You shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a start no fight
Our burying ground is a most impressive sight!
The message on them tombstones is as simple as can be:
He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me
He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.


Submitted by Renee Peterson, thank you!

He sleeps out there, out where the coyotes wail
The reason he ain’t at the bar with the boys
Makes quite a dismal tale ...

He shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, oughtn’t-a swang on me
He oughtn’t-a, shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, no, siree
You don’t get many callers
Sleeping on the lone prairie
But he shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, oughtn’t-a swang on me.

Way out West we're wild and wooly, in order to explain it fully:
We're tall grown, all grown,
All the men are hairy-chested
And all the women, double-breasted
We're lady-like until molested,
And then we're on our own!

He shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, oughtn’t-a swang on me.
He oughtn't-a shouldn't-a hadn't-a felt so free,
His wife gets the the insurance,
And I'm sorry as can be,
But he shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, oughtn’t-a swang on me.

This here job is mighty trying,
Sometimes the room is fairly flying with
High balls, eyeballs
... til somebody got 'em
Tore up the joint from top to bottom
I think I was that one that shot him
As near as I recall.

He shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, oughtn’t-a swang on me.
He massacred eight or nine minutes, the lazy bee!
He then took on the sheriff, and the sheriff's deputy,
But he shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, oughtn’t-a swang on me.

All you boys remember Harry
The wrangler I was set to marry
A long man, strong man
One night he yells "I’m from Texas! ...
And socks me in my solar plexus.
Well having normal, good reflexes, I knocked him on his can!

He shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, oughtn’t-a blacked my eye.
I’m really a lovable, peaceable kind of guy.
I wouldn’t scare a rabbit and I couldn’t harm a flea,
But he shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, oughtn’t-a swang on me.

If this story has a moral,
It's: When you’re looking for a quarrel or show down;
Slow down.
If by now, you haven’t mastered
The gentle art of getting plastered,
You're just a Low-Down, you ain't mastered
The motto of our town!

You shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, oughtn’t-a start no fight
Our burying grounds are a most impressive sight!
The message on them tombstones is as simple as can be:
He shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, oughtn’t-a swang on me
He shouldn’t-a, hadn’t-a, oughtn’t-a swang on me.