Hold That Critter Down

Bob Nolan
Original copyright: January 9, 1937

It’s roundup time and the weather’s fine
And the strays must all be branded.
The irons fry and the dogies[1] cry
But the old man has commanded.
So all day long I sing this song,
“Hold that critter down!”

Refrain:
Hold him down, burn his hide.
There’s extra pay
For every day
So hold that critter down.

When the sun goes down and the moon comes ‘round
To the old cook shack we’re headin’.
We’ll throw the pie in the Chink cook’s eye
And we’ll tie him to his beddin’.
Then we’ll make him run to the tune of a gun
So hold that critter down.

I’ll head for town when the boss comes ‘round
With the back pay that he owes me.
Get drunk as sin with my old pal, Jim,
And land where the bouncer throws me.
Then bet him ten he can’t do it again
So hold that critter down.

Back next day with ten minute’s pay
Left from the cheque I just drew.
The boss said, “Son, you’re a son of a gun
But I wish that I was with you.”
So I’ll burn hair for next month’s tear
And hold that critter down!

[1] stray or motherless calves

The cowboy craze of the first half of the 20th Century had a real grip on the public imagination. Songs, films and books had created the cowboy hero. This, coupled with Bob Nolan’s lyrical western compositions, influenced the Sons of the Pioneers’ decision to choose the “cowboy” over the “hillbilly” style. "Hold That Critter Down" is one of the humorous songs he wrote about the real working cowboy. The Sons of the Pioneers often entertained at rodeos and they got to know many of the ranch hands over the years. The song was so realistic that it became one of the Pioneers' rodeo standbys.

"Hold That Critter Down" was registered for copyright on January 9, 1937, and the sheet music was included in Sons of the Pioneers Original Songs of the Prairie Folio No. 3, Cross & Winge, Inc. 1937.

Hold That Critter Down (Cross & Winge, Inc.)

The Sons of the Pioneers recorded this Bob Nolan classic for the Standard radio transcriptions in 1934 and again in 1937 for ARC (the American Recording Company.) Another recording was made at the time but unissued. The Pioneers used it in their radio transcriptions.

SONS OF THE PIONEERS TRANSCRIPTION RECORDINGS

Standard Radio transcriptions, No. 1684 (1934)

Orthacoustic Symphonies of the Sage, No. 064076

NBC Thesaurus transcriptions, 1804 Side B MS-064076-J (same as Orthacoustic #7 Side A)

Teleways Radio Productions transcriptions, Nos. 22, 62, 130, 176, and 233

Lucky U Ranch radio show (courtesy of Larry Hopper)
- Transcriptions disc TR-290/291 (March 20, 1952)
- Transcriptions disc TR-363/364 (May 12, 1952)
- Transcriptions disc TR-371/372 (May 16, 1952)
- Transcriptions disc TR-503/504 (September 3, 1952)
- Transcriptions disc TR-565/566 (November 17, 1952)
- Transcriptions disc TR-634/635 (January 5, 1953)
Lucky U Ranch radio show without the Sons of the Pioneers
- Transcriptions disc TR-774, 775 (April 10, 1953)

Smokey the Bear radio show, episode No. 8 (1955)