C. W. McCall - Nishnabotna Lyrics






One time when I's growin' up - it was when I's a kid - there was nothin' to do at home so I called up on a friend an' said "Let's pack us a box lunch an' go down to the Nishnabotna an' go swimmin'. An' maybe look for some toads"

My friend said he thought that's a good idea 'cause he didn't have nothin' to do either an' he was outta toads

So we packed up our box lunches an' we started out a-walkin', an' we come to a big iron bridge which was five miles from town where we observed a big sign which says "West Nishnabotna". I says "This here's the place, an', an' now if we could just find some toads an' go for a good swim, we could have fun all day doin' nothin', just loafin' around in the creek"

We jumped into that dirty water an' I thought we might be able to swim in it, but we quickly discovered that we could not even begin to dog-paddle in it. Be, because right where we was, the Nishnabotna was only four-an'-a-half inches deep. So we wound up a-crawlin' along down on all fours in it, through the mud an' beer cans an' yucky things an' old pieces a' cars

We went past a bunch a' fenders an' a couple a' Plymouth hubcaps, when we come to a place where we thought there might be some toads. When we was surprised by a farmer who told us to get on out of there an' to never come back or he'd call up the sheriff an' have us put into jail for the rest of our natural-born lives with nothin' to eat but bread an' water so we'd starve

But time passes by real quickly when you're havin' fun, so we ran through the fenders and the mud to the bridge again. But when we got back there we sadly discovered that the sun had been out and our backs was all blistered so bad we had to lay flat on our bellies for two weeks in bed which made us sick to our stomachs an' we didn't care about nothin' anymore

It just ain't too good for your livers to go swimmin' in that river. You can get cut up pretty bad in there an' there ain't too many toads

There's nothin' but, there's nothin' but mud in there an' there's all kinds a' crud, an' it's layin' all over the place so you'd better watch out

If you wanna get sick, just go crawlin' around in that creek. There's a whole lot a' bad things that can happen to you

No, it ain't, no, it ain't good for your liver to hunt toads in that river. The West Nishnabotna is the creek of my childhood





Other Lyrics by Artist

Rand Lyrics

Last Posts

C. W. McCall Nishnabotna Comments
  1. C.... ....

    It aint worth lookin fa tows.

  2. N.... M....

    Ill never forget the time I was headed west on i80 in between Omaha and Des Moines, and I saw the sign that showed I was driving over the nishnabotna river. I was instantly reminded of this song and a few other CW McCall songs. Being from Omaha I love hearing his music describing some of the area's I frequently pass through.

  3. P.... H....

    I've made a point of visiting as many of the places he mentions in his songs as possible.

  4. L.... R....

    This is not singing, but I don't care. lol!!

    L.... R....

    It's the precursor to rap, only better!

  5. J.... V....

    Float down the nishnabotna

  6. D.... I....

    I have listened to country (REAL country!) my whole life, and I don't understand why I have never heard this one before. At least I don't think I have. Anyway, I would've crapped myself laughing if I had heard this as a kid.

    Great and very funny song! I don't know why they don't have funny songs like this among the unlistenable crappola about sexy tractors and such that they foist on people today and try to call it country music.

    It wouldn't make the crap "Todays Hot New Country" turn magically into REAL country music, which it isn't and never will be, but at least inserting a few funny songs like this, into the horrible drivel that is today's so-called country, would make me not so much want to take a quarter inch electric drill to both of my ears.

    Who agrees with me that today's so-called 'hot', so-called 'country' so-called 'music' is neither worthy of being called country nor music, nor hot?

    D.... I....

    There are still a few traditional style artists.

    D.... I....

    @Kenny Dobbins Not on the radio there isn't.

  7. I.... T....

    I drove over the Nishnabota Creek several times while passing through Iowa. It's pretty much the way he describes it. It's a muddy little creek about 6-10 feet wide and couple of feet deep in some spots.

  8. J.... I....

    Been looken' fer toads my whole life!......Anyone seen any toads?

  9. E.... M....

    Good fishin in places on the 'botna!

  10. f.... ....

    Best song ever