The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away!)

Album: Calamity Jane (1953)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "The Deadwood Stage" is the opening song from the 1953 Warner Brothers musical Calamity Jane. Written by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster, it was performed by Doris Day (with chorus) in the lead role. The real Calamity Jane was poles apart from Day, whose wholesome screen image propelled her to box office super stardom.

    Martha Jane Cannary Burke (1852-1903) was a frontierswoman and scout, among her other claims to fame. She lived in Deadwood, South Dakota for a time, and the reference in the song to "Injun arrows" being thicker than porcupine quills is no invention. On one occasion, while she was riding the stage it was attacked by Indians, and when the driver was killed, she drove it to Deadwood.

    The last verse too is, sadly, grounded firmly in historical fact: "Set 'em up Joe, Set 'em up Joe, Set 'em up Joe"; Jane had a weakness for the demon drink, and this undoubtedly contributed to her early death. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" Album

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" AlbumSong Writing

In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.