On American Pastimes, the satire of Greg Keeler: Songs of Manly Men, Old Rich Ladies, and Cold Dead Fingers.

Greg Keeler is a manly man of letters. He holds degrees from Oklahoma State University and Idaho State University. He has taught English and Literature at Montana State University since 1975. As a writer he has produced numerous books of poetry, many articles in popular and academic journals and magazines, six plays and several books. Waltzing With The Captain (Limberlost Press 2003) is a personal account of his experiences with one of his mentors and comrade, the late Northern California writer/poet Richard Brautigan (Trout Fishing in America, In Watermelon Sugar). As an artist Keeler’s acrylic paintings have been exhibited in a variety of galleries. And as a musician he has produced 10 cassettes and CDs of satirical songs, and a few YouTube videos. In 2001 he received the Montana Governor’s Award in the Humanities. He’s also a fisherman.

Link to Keeler’s Website: http://www.troutball.com/

“Manly Men” by Greg Keeler
from the 1991 cassette Sheep, Lies and Audiotape.

Chorus 1:
We're men among men and manly men.
Yes, manly men are we.
We're men among manly, men among manly,
Manly men are we.

We'll sail up north and cross the ice
And cross the barren snow fields.
You've gotta be tough, and you've gotta be a man
To club the baby harp seal,
To club the baby harp seal.

We're men among men and manly men.
Yes, manly men are we.
We're men among manly, men among manly,
Manly men are we.

We'll drive out west on a buffalo hunt
In a venture bold and daring.
We'll shoot one again, and again and again
While the others stand there staring.
While the others stand there staring.

We're men among men and manly men.
Yes, manly men are we.
We're men among manly, men among manly,
Manly men are we

When we shoot him down, he'll get back up,
So we'll shoot him down again.
But he'll get back up, so we'll shoot him down
'Cause we are manly men.

Chorus 2:
And a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do
When a man is a man among men,
And a man among men's gotta do what a man's
Gotta do as a man among men.

We'll hunt the black rhinoceros down
On the plain so dry and hot.
We'll blow him over and take his horn
And leave the rest to rot,
Yes, leave the rest to rot.

And a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do
When a man is a man among men,
And a man among men's gotta do what a man's
Gotta do as a man among men.

We'll take that horn and sell it to
Our Taiwanese connections.
They'll grind it up into medicine
So men can get erections,
So men can get erections.

And a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do
When a man is a man among men,
And a man among men's gotta do what a man's
Gotta do as a man among men.

We're men among men and manly men.
Yes, manly men are we.
We're men among manly, men among manly,
Manly men are we.

To listen to this song again, follow this link: http://www.subgenius.com/bigfist/ears/soundz/07HOLE.html

Because of their meter, the lyrics to “Manly Men” work well as a sea shanty or as a campfire sing-along. If you find this hard to believe, follow this link to a rousing campfire sing-along recorded at the 1993 Earth First! Rendezvous, at Mt. Graham Arizona: www.religionandnature.com/bron/courses/re/re--music.pdf.