(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please refer to the "Poor Little Fool" post.)
Larry Verne - "Mr. Custer"
Hit Number 1: October 10, 1960
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
Apparently "Mr. Custer" causes some problems with people today. They claim that the song is "racist" because it imitates Native American war cries, and think it's making fun of a really horrible time in American history. It's not exactly making fun of the Battle of Little Bighorn (the battle where General George Custer and many others lost their lives), but I see the song as being a bit ironic. The song is about an unnamed soldier in the battle who begs Mr. Custer to not make him fight in the battle. He pretty much knew that his side was doomed in the fight, so he goes on and on as to why Mr. Custer should just "excuse him the rest of the afternoon". Oh yeah, and for those of you that think this song is at all "racist", here's my message to you: Lighten the hell up! Seriously, it's just a novelty song.
I guess if you are gonna knock the song for anything, it should be for the fact that it just isn't a very good song. It's about as strange and silly as a song gets. The soldier asking for Mr. Custer to not make him fight talks in a silly and funny voice, with an exaggerated accent. For a few seconds in the song the soldier seemingly talks to himself, and making jokes to himself about the Indians "running around like a bunch of wild Indians", and warning his comrades about incoming arrows, which Verne imitates. (It's actually strangely fun imitating the arrow noise) I do find the song pretty funny but there are definitely better novelty songs out there. I don't think there is anything wrong with how the song is structured, and I certainly don't find it "racist". Like seriously people, you've got to be kidding me here. Obviously, the people of 1960 didn't see anything wrong with it, and that's because the sole purpose of "Mr. Custer's" existence, is to be funny and not taken seriously at all. That's the whole point of novelty songs! It's just not one high up on my favorites list. The song is just kind of there to me. But it IS funny. Oh yeah, and did I mention that the song is NOT racist? People today really boggle my mind sometimes.
Anyway, as for Verne, he didn't stick around very long in the music business. He stopped making music in 1963, just 3 years after the release of "Mr. Custer", after growing tired of the music industry. He then went on to become a builder of Hollywood film sets, which he did for the rest of his working days before retiring from that. Unfortunately, he developed Alzheimer's disease, and died in 2013 at the age of 77.
GRADE: 3/10
I agree with what you wrote but C'mon! It's a 4 at least!