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Fishing Songs

25K views 115 replies 86 participants last post by  Don Freeman 
#1 ·
I'm making a playlist of songs that have something to do with fishing, but I need some help. My rules are they have to have something to do with fishing, and they have to be halfway decent songs that you can listen to a bunch of times:

Here's what I got so far, in no particular order:

1- Woodie Guthrie and Ramblin' Jack Elliot- Talking Fishing Blues
2- Bruce Springsteen- The River (no fishing I know, but a place you could no doubt fish if you wanted to)
3- Otis Redding- Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay (as for above #2)
4- Bob Dylan- Hurricane (he mentions trout streams)
5- The Waterboys- Fisherman's Blues
6- Tom Waits- Better off without a wife
7- Fish Man Blues- Memphis minnie
8- River's Rising- Leftover Salmon
9- Three Reels- Dordan
10- Green River- Creedence Clearwater Revival
11- Ol Man River- Paul Robeson
12- The River- PJ Harvey
13- Silverfish- Belly
14- In the Pines- Leadbelly (yeah I know, It's not about fishing... it's about camping)
15- Five feet high and rising - Johnny Cash
16 King tubby meets rockers uptown- king tubby and Augustus Pablo (there's nothing about Tubby that has anything to do with fishing except it puts me in the mood)
 
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#52 ·
Ahh yes and just one more, from Lou Reed, with a footnote ......


Some like wine and some like hops
but what I really love is my scotch
It's the power, the power of positive drinking

Some people ruin their drinks with ice
and then they, they ask you for advice
They tell you, I've never told anyone else before

They say, Candy is dandy but liquor makes quipsters
and I don't like mixers, or sippers or sob sisters
You know, you have to be real careful where you sit down
in a bar these days

And then some people drink to unleash their libidos
and other people drink to prop up their egos
It's my burdon, man, people say
I have the kind of face you can trust

The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive drinking
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
the pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
the pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive drinking

Some people say, alcohol makes you less lucid
and think that's true if you're kind of stupid
I'm not that kind that get's himself burned twice

And some say liquor kills the cells in your head
and for that matter so does getting out of bed
When I exit, I'll go out gracefully, shot in my hand

The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive drinking
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
the pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
the pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive drinking


Now the footnote. My Mom, now 87 years of age, has always said "candy is dandy but liquor is quicker". Apologies to Lou, but I'll stick with my Mom's version.


otter
 
#53 ·
otter said:
OK -

Now its your job to get all this stuff on a disc...

otter
Otter- That's a lot of good stuff for just one disk.

Here's some more:
Pogues- Dirty old town
Pogues- Misty Morning Albert Bridge
The Clash- Death is a star
The Clash- Crooked Beat
The Clash- London Calling

There's some stuff that probably belongs on a different collection. Some of it would be better in "WFF Drinking Songs":beer2:

I reckon there's probably a 100:1 ratio of good drinking songs to good fishing songs, and no doubt Sloan and Porter would have "Back in Black" on both of 'em. My WFF #1 drinking song would have to be along the lines of Kevin B with Uncle Tupelo's- I got drunk (and I fell down) topping the list. :beer1:

Standout crossover tunes (Fishing and Drinking) would be:
Whiskey River- Willie Nelson
Woodie Guthrie and Ramblin' Jack Elliot- Talking Fishing Blues

Coolkyle, I love your posts and insights, but I am compelled to say something, britney spears and janet jackson listened to voluntarily can kill brain cells worse than heavy alcohol use. Furthermore those songs (excepting Barry White) are the textbook PSYOPS playlist blasted out through the streets of Baghdad. And look at the madness that has come because of it?

Try rotating your dial (or internet) to the left, to KEXP 90.3- The Roadhouse (Wednesday 6-9pm) Swingin' Doors (Thursday 6-9) and Positive Vibrations (Saturday 9-12) and Preachin' the blues (Sunday 9-12) all are outstanding examples of how good commercial-free radio can be. These guys dig through the vaults to play some terrific stuff, music that they actually care about. It's a momentary setback on the drive to fish when I lose reception to the Vibrations on a Saturday morning drive up to the YAK...
 
#54 ·
wadin' boot said:
Otter- That's a lot of good stuff for just one disk.

Here's some more:
Pogues- Dirty old town
Pogues- Misty Morning Albert Bridge
The Clash- Death is a star
The Clash- Crooked Beat
The Clash- London Calling

There's some stuff that probably belongs on a different collection. Some of it would be better in "WFF Drinking Songs":beer2:

I reckon there's probably a 100:1 ratio of good drinking songs to good fishing songs, and no doubt Sloan and Porter would have "Back in Black" on both of 'em. My WFF #1 drinking song would have to be along the lines of Kevin B with Uncle Tupelo's- I got drunk (and I fell down) topping the list. :beer1:

Standout crossover tunes (Fishing and Drinking) would be:
Whiskey River- Willie Nelson
Woodie Guthrie and Ramblin' Jack Elliot- Talking Fishing Blues

Coolkyle, I love your posts and insights, but I am compelled to say something, britney spears and janet jackson listened to voluntarily can kill brain cells worse than heavy alcohol use. Furthermore those songs (excepting Barry White) are the textbook PSYOPS playlist blasted out through the streets of Baghdad. And look at the madness that has come because of it?

Try rotating your dial (or internet) to the left, to KEXP 90.3- The Roadhouse (Wednesday 6-9pm) Swingin' Doors (Thursday 6-9) and Positive Vibrations (Saturday 9-12) and Preachin' the blues (Sunday 9-12) all are outstanding examples of how good commercial-free radio can be. These guys dig through the vaults to play some terrific stuff, music that they actually care about. It's a momentary setback on the drive to fish when I lose reception to the Vibrations on a Saturday morning drive up to the YAK...
Yah. Now we've got the classic fish hugger situation. Make a disc, several discs, for sale. Proceeds to go to the fish. Maybe pull in the Hoh River Trust. Who knows?

You up for unknown ground?

I could go on but tomorrow is a strong day & I need to Z.

otter
 
#55 ·
wadin' boot said:
Otter- That's a lot of good stuff for just one disk.

Here's some more:
Pogues- Dirty old town
Pogues- Misty Morning Albert Bridge
The Clash- Death is a star
The Clash- Crooked Beat
The Clash- London Calling

There's some stuff that probably belongs on a different collection. Some of it would be better in "WFF Drinking Songs":beer2:

I reckon there's probably a 100:1 ratio of good drinking songs to good fishing songs, and no doubt Sloan and Porter would have "Back in Black" on both of 'em. My WFF #1 drinking song would have to be along the lines of Kevin B with Uncle Tupelo's- I got drunk (and I fell down) topping the list. :beer1:

Standout crossover tunes (Fishing and Drinking) would be:
Whiskey River- Willie Nelson
Woodie Guthrie and Ramblin' Jack Elliot- Talking Fishing Blues

Coolkyle, I love your posts and insights, but I am compelled to say something, britney spears and janet jackson listened to voluntarily can kill brain cells worse than heavy alcohol use. Furthermore those songs (excepting Barry White) are the textbook PSYOPS playlist blasted out through the streets of Baghdad. And look at the madness that has come because of it?

Try rotating your dial (or internet) to the left, to KEXP 90.3- The Roadhouse (Wednesday 6-9pm) Swingin' Doors (Thursday 6-9) and Positive Vibrations (Saturday 9-12) and Preachin' the blues (Sunday 9-12) all are outstanding examples of how good commercial-free radio can be. These guys dig through the vaults to play some terrific stuff, music that they actually care about. It's a momentary setback on the drive to fish when I lose reception to the Vibrations on a Saturday morning drive up to the YAK...
Yah. Now we've got the classic fish hugger situation. Make a disc, several discs, for sale. Proceeds to go to the fish. Maybe pull in the Hoh River Trust. Who knows?

You up for unknown ground?

I could go on but tomorrow is a strong day & I need to Z.

otter
 
#56 ·
For the Kings- "Hit the Road Jack" Ray Charles
For the Chums- "War Pigs" Black Sabath
For thr Humpies- "My Humps" -Black Eyed Peas
For the Silvers- "Man on the Silver Mountain" -Ronnie James Dio
For the Cutties- "The Tide is High" -Blondie
For the Bass- "Badfish" Sublime
For The Poachers "Karma Police" Radio Head
For Getting Skunked "Story Of My Life" -Social D
For the Good Days on the Lake "Lake Of Fire"" -Nirvana
For Any day of fishing "Today was a Good Day" -Ice cube




Oh and a special dedication to the "guy" at Lone Lake.
Me and my buddy quote these lyrics everytime we run into you.

Tool: Eulogy

He had a lot to say
He had a lot of nothing to say.
We'll miss him
We're gonna miss him

Standing above the crowd
he had a voice that was strong and loud
We'll miss him
We're gonna miss him


No way
to recall
what it was that you had said to me,
like I care at alll.
But he was sooo louuud.
You sure could yell.
You took a stand on every little thing
and soooo louuuuuuuuud.
 
#59 ·
Greg Brown with Bill Morrissey

"Fishing with Bill"

Man what a winter,
Sorrow wide and deep.
Is it just the media industry or the whole country
That is turning into sheep?
I wanna go to a good place
With a friend of mine,
Cast our souls out in the river
And watch the whole deal shine.
Some little crick in Massachusetts, just over the hill,
Oh I, I'm goin' fishin' with Bill.

Well, Bill, I bet he is a good fly caster.
He grew up on these eastern brooks.
Me, I grew up on the midwestern cricks
Casting crappie flies for chubs and such.
But in my young imagination,
I watched a Number 20 Coachman settle down,
Sitting by the stove in that little library
Reading Roderick L. Haig Brown.
I never did fish in Vancouver. I probably never will.
I don't care. I'm goin' fishin' with Bill.

Well, it's a long and noble tradition,
Catching trout on the fly.
When you're done, with the setting of the sun,
Gonna drink a little bourbon if you're dry.
See some folks out on the river,
Cool, scientific and clean.
They look like everything just kinda stuck to them
The last time they walked through ol' L. L. Bean.
My friend, Dave, says the good fishermen are the ones who have fun and we will.
Oh I, I'm goin' fishin' with Bill.

Sittin' in a bar in Brattleboro
Thinkin' about one of his songs.
The rain was pourin' down, and I was pourin' it down,
And all I could do was hum along.
We've talked about goin' fishin' so often
At some party when the gig was done.
Well, life slips by like a little dry fly
Sliding down a deep slick run,
So let us stand steady like an old mill.
Oh I, I'm goin' fishin' with Bill.

Maybe Handsome Molly will pass by
As we cast away the hours.
Somewhere on a river somewhere far away
>From stupid people in positions of power.
Someday when we ain't folk singers
Flyin' through the friendly skies.
We won't be waiting for the big break
Or anything except the evening rise
On some spring crick in Wisconsin or maybe the Batten Kill.
Oh I, I'm goin' fishin' with Bill.
I'm goin' fishin' with Bill...um um um,
I'm goin' fishin' with Bill...yes, I am,
I'm goin' fishin' with Bill.

G: Y'know, Bill?
B: Wha? Wha?
G: I think if we just tried a little, some kinda little streamer right
over there; go ahead and cast over...
B: What d'ya got - a blasting cap?
G: See that clump of grass over there...
B: A Number 12 blasting cap...
G: ... on the other side over there?
B: Yeah, yeah I see that.
G: I have a feelin' there's about a 5 1/2 pound rainbow under one of them...
B: Ah, 6...
G: ...just waitin' for someone to come along...and catch...
B: I'll catch the fish.
G: We need to catch just one trout here, Bill...just one..
B: What? Ya hungry?
G: ...'cause I'm hungry, I don't know about you...
B: Well, I'll catch the fish.
G: I know we're both catch and release guys. I know we believe in that,
but if we caught just one trout, we could eat it, couldn't we, so we could
sustain ourselves and the beautiful spirit of the trout would become part of
us....and I'm hungry.
B: Ah, ah...
G: Well, I'm not complainin' 'bout gettin' lost today.
B: We, we weren't lost, Greg, ah...
G: We've seen a lot of parts of Massachusetts I've never seen before; it's
not that, it's...
B: ...the map was broken.
G: ...it's late and we need to catch one trout and put...
B: ...ok, ok, alright, I'll...
G: ...it on the grill if it's OK.
B: Alright.

Goin' fishin' with Bill.
Goin' fishin' with Bill.
Goin' fishin' with Bill.
 
#60 ·
i like country most but i have abuddy who is a lot younger then me who likes rap and all that other music i call crap. but when it is hot out he likes the thong song, and the one that talks about big butts but i cant remember the name of that one tho. i think those are good fishin songs because thats the kind of view that makes a hot day on the lake even better.
 
#65 ·
Here's one that wasn't mentioned
"ain't it a shame to go fishin on a sunday" Nirvana
I also like "badfish" sublime, but that was mentioned.

What's the name of that song with the following lyrics

"you grab a line and I'll grab a pole and we'll all go down to the crawdad hole"
 
#68 ·
Man, I could go on and on. My buddy and I use to listen to David Allen Coe and Montgomery Gentry almost exclusively going out to the river. This is some of what I listen to now that I don't thinks been listed yet.

"Country State of Mind" Hank Jr
"Up on Cripple Creek" The Band
"Cocaine Blues" Johnny Cash
"Copperhead Road" Steve Earle
"Goin up the country" Canned Heat
"Big City Blues" Charlie Robison
"Idaho" Josh Ritter
"Deliverence" Bubba Sparxxx
"Blackwater" The Doobie Brothers
"Soul Shine" Gov't Mule
 
#71 ·
lol, just found one by accident. Had it on my comp for a long time and never really listened to the lyrics:

"Get Over It" by OK Go

Lot of knots, lot of snags,
lot of holes, lot of cracks lot of crags. Lot of naggin' old hags,
lot of fools, lot of fool scum bags.
Oh it's such a drag, what a chore... oh your wounds are full of salt.
Everything's a stress and what's more, well it's all somebody's fault.

Hey! Get over it!

Makes you sick, makes you ill,
makes you cheat, slipping change from the till.
Had it up to the gills... makes you cry while
the milk still spills. Ain't it just a bitch? What a pain...
Well it's all a crying shame. What
left to do but complain? Better find someone to blame.

Hey! Get over it!

Got a job, got a life, got a four-door and a faithless wife.
Got those nice copper pipes, got an ex, got a room for the night.
Aren't you such a catch?
What a prize! Got a body like a battle
axe... Love that perfect frown, honest eyes...
We ought to buy you a Cadillac.

Hey! Get over it!
 
#74 ·
"Wet Dream" by Kip Addotta

It was April the 41st, being a quadruple leap year
I was driving in downtown Atlantis
My Barracuda was in the shop, so I was in a rented Stingray, and it was
overheating
So I pulled into a Shell station
They said I'd blown a seal
I said, "Fix the damn thing and leave my private life out of it, okay
pal?"

While they were doing that I walked over to a place called the oyster
bar -- a real dive
But I knew the owner, he used to play for the Dolphins
I said, "Hi, Gil!!!"
You hafta yell, he's hard of herring

CHORUS:
Think I had a wet dream
Cruisin' through the Gulf Stream
Oooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Wet dream...

Gil was also down on his luck
Fact is, he was barely keeping his head below water
I gullied up to the sandbar
He poured the usual
Rusty snail, hold the grunion, shaken, not stirred
With a peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich on the side -- heavy on the
mako
I slipped him a fin -- on porpoise
I was feeling good
I even dropped a sand dollar in the box for Jerry's Squids -- for the
halibut

Well, the place was crowded
We were packed in like sardines
They were all there to listen to the big band sounds of Tommy Dorsal --
what sole
Tommy was rockin' the place with a very popular tuna -- "Salmon Chanted
Evening"
And the stage was surrounded by screaming groupers
Probably there to see the bass player

One of them was this cute little yellowtail
And she's giving ME the eye
So I figure, this is my chance for a little fun
You know -- a piece of Pisces

But she said things I just couldn't fathom
She was too deep, and seemed to be under a lot of pressure
Boy, could she drink
She drank like a... she drank A LOT...
I said, "What's your sign?"
She said, "Aquarium"
I said, "GREAT!!! Let's get tanked!"

CHORUS

I invited her up to my place for a little midnight bait
I said, "C'mon baby, it'll only take a few minnows"
She threw me that same old line
"Not tonight -- I got a haddock"

And she wasn't kiddin' either, 'cuz in came the biggest, meanest looking
haddock I'd ever seen come down the pike
He was covered with mussels
He came over to me, he said, "Listen shrimp -- don't you come trolling
around here"
What a crab
This guy was steamed -- I could see the anchor in his eyes

I turned to him, I said, "Abalone -- You're just being shellfish"
Well, I knew it was going to be trouble, and so did Gil, 'cuz he was
already on the phone to the cods
The haddock hits me with a sucker punch
I catch him with a left hook
He eels over
It was a fluke, but there he was, lying on the deck, flat as a mackerel
Kelpless

I said, "Forget the cods, Gil, this guy's gonna need a sturgeon"
Well, the yellowtail was impressed with the way I landed her boyfriend
She came over to me, she said, "Hey big boy, you're really a game fish"
"What's your name?"
I said, "Marlin"

CHORUS

Well from then on, we had a whale of a time
I took her to dinner
I took her to dance
I bought her a bouquet of flounders
And then I went home with her
And what did I get for my trouble?
A case of the clams
 
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