Song picture
#153- Alferd Packer (1995)
Comment Share
Single   $0.5
The true story of the 1870's cannibal from Colorado...but it's his side of the story.
folk funny political sixties novelty gentle prolific idiosyncratic lehrer jefferson airplane ochs paxton steve goodman
Artist picture
Tom Paxton meets Jefferson Airplane. Extremely prolific singer songwriter with a wide range of styles from bizarre novelty tunes and surrealistic poetic songs t
With more than 300 songs and counting and for more than 30 years, I have written in a variety of acoustic styles from novelty tunes to love songs to historical ballads to poetic surrealistic songs to retro-acoustic pop. From bizarre to traditional from funny to poignant, whatever style the song is in, the melodies are usually memorable and the lyrics unpredictable. This site will eventually contain rough often first take demos of my entire song catalogue. Many of the earliest songs when I first started writing will of course be shaky. So expect the songs to get better as time goes on. Feel free to come back and browse often as I will constantly be adding songs, one by one in chronological order, starting in 1974. If you are looking for some unusual songs to cover from a little known but unique artist, you have come to the right place. Just e-mail me. If you find a song here that intrigues you, but you don't like a line or two, or you think it needs a bridge, drop me an e-mail and maybe you can earn writer's credit if it gets that song to be recorded or performed.... otherwise just enjoy. You can become a Rob Lincoln fan at no cost to you. I promise that if you keep coming back there will be some real surprises along the way. While mostly acoustic, some original material will veer into folk rock and even 60's pop, but the garage rock and loudest material will also be found in full band arrangement at soundclick.com/abrasiveflowers Eventually some of these 300+ tunes may be rerecorded and make it on to CD, including a novelty CD that would be suitable for Dr. Demento or an historical ballad CD or a political song CD--but until then, this is the only site you can hear most of these songs. (A few of my songs CAN be found on songramp.com/RobLincoln and myspace.com/lessickandlincoln)
Song Info
Charts
Peak #274
Peak in subgenre #42
Author
Rob Lincoln
Rights
1994
Uploaded
May 18, 2008
Track Files
MP3
MP3 4.3 MB 128 kbps 4:44
Story behind the song
Alferd Packer is the true story of the legendary 19th century cannibal from Colorado of the same name. Listen to my recorded spoken intro and it will explain all you need to know about Mr. P. Also, if you write back with the inconsistency I mispeak, I will send you a prize. By the way, for those who find the subject-matter tasteless, the great Phil Ochs wrote a song about him as well, that was quite a bit more graphic....and the University of Colorado named its cafeteria after him. Mp3 Club listeners have good taste. They rated it one of the highest of all my tunes --4.8 out of 5.0. Comments included: "Brilliant" "sheer genious" "not tasteless, like all great folk songs- a piece of the people" "nice guitar work" "pretty cool song" "right up my alley" "Now that's a 10, I mean 5, oops" "This melody, old time sound and the vocals were convincing, but I couldn't get myself to listen passed the first verse and chorus. I guess, it's because I saw a movie about a plane crash over the Andes mountains and the survivors had to eat those who died in the crash to survive. No rating" "I'm sharing it with my friends. I'm sure they'll eat it up"
Lyrics
In the winter of 1873 and early ‘74 I had to get down to the mining town cause they caught that gold fever I knew the land like the back of my hand and I stood about 6 feet tall I was their scout, I tried my best, but the winter took it’s toll Whose to say what you’d a done Nowhere to go Nowhere to run A blizzard it caught our party of six First to go was Israel Swan There was no food had to stay alive And we knew his soul was gone The five of us we went our way Just a trying to survive Mr. judge don’t you think you’re better than me Wouldn’t you want to stay alive? Whose to say what you’d a done Nowhere to go Nowhere to run When I came back from the top of the hill They’d all been killed but one And out there in the dead of night I had to use my gun Yes I used a hatchet on Mr. Bell but I swear in self-defense Once they were dead what could I do? I guess you know the rest Whose to say what you’d a done Nowhere to go Nowhere to run You sentenced me to hang to death But I got another trial In prison for a dozen years But let out age 59 Now I’m livin’ here in Littleton Where I tend my garden well I am a free man I love this land Like the back of my innocent hand I am a free man I love this land Like the back of my innocent hand Whose to say what you’d a done Nowhere to go Nowhere to run
Comments
Please sign up or log in to post a comment.