Old Settler's Song (Acres of Clams)

rdf:langString Old Settler's Song (Acres of Clams)

rdf:langString Old Settler's Song (Acres of Clams)

rdf:langString Old Settler's Song

rdf:langString Sing-a-long at Sanders Theatre, 1980

rdf:langString Irish waltz

rdf:langString Smithsonian/Folkways

rdf:langString Francis D. Henry

rdf:langString "Old Settler's Song (Acres of Clams)" is a Northwest United States folk song written by Francis D. Henry around 1874. The lyrics are sung to the tune "Old Rosin the Beau." The song also goes by the names "Acres of Clams", “Lay of the Old Settler,” “Old Settler’s Song,” while the melody is known as “Rosin the Beau,” "Old Rosin the Beau," "Rosin the Bow," "Mrs. Kenny," "A Hayseed Like Me," "My Lodging's on the Cold, Cold Ground." The tune was also used for the song "Denver", which was recorded by The New Christy Minstrels in their 1962 live performance album The New Christy Minstrels - In Person. The first recorded reference to this song was in the Olympia, Washington newspaper the Washington Standard in April 1877. Although no official record exists, "The Old Settler's Song" was thought to be the state song of Washington according to The People's Song Bulletin until it was decided the lyrics were not dignified enough. The song achieved prominence decades later when radio-show singer Ivar Haglund used it as the theme song for his Seattle, Washington radio show. Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie said that they taught the song to Haglund. Haglund went on to name the Seattle restaurant "Ivar's Acres of Clams" after the last line from the ballad. Bing Crosby included the song in his album How the West Was Won (1959).