County Fair
Leadvocals:
Mike
Recording Date:
05.09.1962
Single Release Date:
26.11.1962 (Capitol 4880)
Highest Chart Position:
49 (01.12.1962)
Additional Infos:
Usher: In early '62 we were in San Bernardino for a Beach Boys
show at a fair. Brian and I liked the happy scene of the county
fairs. We picked up on the spirit of the rides and the girls,
and at one of our daily writing sessions with Brian at the piano
and me sitting there, we wrote the song in ten minutes. In a
1962 interview, Brian said he wanted this song to be the follow-up
single to Surfin' Safari.
Listen for audio sample
Lyrics:
This time each year in our hometown
The county fair comes our way
Where the folks gather round to be happy and spend their day
A-here's what happened now,
I soon decide that I'd take with me
The most specialest girl I knew
I had her pack us a lunch and on down the dirt road we flew
(Hurry hurry, step right up and win your girl
a stuffed koala bear)
[Aw, come on Nicky. Win me a koala bear]
(Break the balloon with a dart)
(Yes you son, come up here. Win your girl a stuffed koala bear)
[Oh please win me a koala bear]
(Break the balloon with a dart. Come on son, step right up)
(Get up there, that's a boy)
Right then I knew what I had to do
(Hurry, hurry)
Before that day was through
(Step right up)
I had to win a stuffed doggie or I'd break her poor heart in
two
(Hurry, hurry)
(Win a prize)
A let me tell you now,
I passed up a chance when I walked by a booth
(Hurry, hurry)
Where you throw a dart and break a balloon
(Step right up)
I snuck by a couple more, but I had to get caught real soon
(Hurry, hurry)
(Win a prize)
(Step right up, test your strength.)
(Come on son, ring the bell with the hammer)
[Aww, come on muscles]
(Win your girl a stuffed koala bear)
[Ooohhh]
(Come on son, are you a man or a weakling?)
(Yes you, step up here and test your strength)
(Win your girl a stuffed koala bear)
[Come on baby]
(Come on son)
I hit the rubber stump just as hard as I could
(Hurry, hurry)
But I didn't make it ring the bell
(Step right up)
I tried again and again, but I just didn't do so well
(Hurry, hurry)
(Win a prize)
Can you believe it now,
Up walked a fella and he tapped me on the shoulder, said
(Hurry, hurry)
I can win your girl a prize
(Step right up)
So, he flexed all his muscles and knocked the bell up in the
sky
(Hurry, hurry)
(Win a prize)
Yeah the big strong guy knocked the bell in the
sky
(Hurry, hurry)
Took my girl and the doggie away
(Step right up...)
Yeah the big strong guy knocked the bell in the sky
(Step right up son, test your strength)
Took my girl and the doggie away
(Come on kid, ring the bell)
Yeah the big strong guy knocked the bell in the sky
[Ah, goodbye muscles. I don't need you anymore]
Took my girl and the doggie away
[Loser]
