Biscuit Blues

Bob Nolan
Original copyright: March 16, 1939

Why, I’ve cooked biscuits all my life.
(Oh, I’ve got the biscuit blues.)
I’ve cooked for the devil and the devil’s wife.
(Oh, I’ve got the biscuit blues.)
I’ve cooked for old Paul Bunyan’s crew.
When I ran short of flour I just used glue
But they’re all dead now, so I’ll cook ‘em for you.
(Oh, I’ve got the biscuit blues.)

Refrain:

Biscuits for breakfast and biscuits for dinner
And biscuits for supper, too,
And a biscuit dream ‘most every night.
Oh, I’ve got the biscuit blues.

Now, I can make biscuits of every kind. (Oh, etc.)
I make ’em out of any old thing I find. (Oh, etc.)
Biscuit puddin’ and biscuit stew,
Great big biscuits and little ones, too,
And biscuits you can’t even chew. (Oh, etc.)

We’re gonna have biscuits every day. (Oh, etc.)
I’ll cook ‘em ahead and I’ll stack ‘em away. (Oh, etc.)
There’ll be biscuits here and biscuits there
And biscuits crawlin’ through your hair.
There’ll be biscuits, biscuits everywhere! (Oh, etc.)

When I go to the oven to see if they’re done (Oh, etc.)
I open up the door and I pull my gun (Oh, etc.)
Then I fan three shots with a “Crack! Crack! Crack!”
If the biscuits smile and the slugs bounce back
They’re done to a turn, what a tasty snack! (Oh, etc.)

When all the songwriting duties for Columbia's Charles Starrett westerns fell on Bob Nolan's capable shoulders, he wrote this song for the movie West of Cheyenne in 1938. It became a popular showcase for Pat Brady in personal appearances and in all their radio transcriptions. The Sons of the Pioneers used the comic song again in Republic's King of the Cowboys in 1943. It was never commercially recorded. The song was registered for copyright on March 16, 1939.

NOTE: The following verse concluded the song in the film West of Cheyenne and was often used thereafter but is not included in the song folio:

Well, how about a nice big juicy steak?
(Oh! M-m-m-m!)
With mushroom gravy and a devil’s food cake.
(Oh! M-m-m-m!)
Well, all the trimmings, just food galore
A glass of wine. Maybe three or four?
Well, you’re gonna get biscuits instead.
(Why shore! Get him, Bob!)

The lyrics above are from Bob Nolan’s Folio of Original Cowboy Classics No. 1, ©1939 by American Music, Inc.

Biscuit Blues (American Music, Inc.)
Typed copy of the lyrics from Bob Nolan’s repertoire box

SONS OF THE PIONEERS TRANSCRIPTION RECORDINGS

Orthacoustic Symphonies of the Sage 064393 (1941)

Teleways Radio Productions transcriptions Nos. 12, 28, 48, 67, 141, and 203 (c. 1947-48)

NBC Thesaurus transcriptions, disc 1704, side B

Lucky U Ranch radio show (courtesy of Larry Hopper)
- Transcription disc TR-87/88 (November 13, 1951)
- Transcription disc TR-238/239 (February 13, 1952)
- Transcription disc TR-579/580 (November 26, 1952)
- Transcription disc TR-778/779 (April 14, 1953)

Smokey the Bear Radio Show, Show No. 3 (1956)