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Oh who has heard the great commotion, motion motion
all the country through?
It is the ball a-rolling on
for Tippecanoe and Tyler too
and with him we'll beat Little Van, Van
Van is a used up man
and with him we'll beat Little Van
Sure, let 'em talk about hard cider (cider cider)
and log cabins too
't'will only help to speed the ball
for Tippecanoe and Tyler too
and with him we'll beat Little Van, Van
Van is a used up man
and with him we'll beat Little Van
Like the rush of mighty waters (waters waters)
onward it will go
And of course we'll bring you through
for Tippecanoe and Tyler too
and with him we'll beat Little Van, Van
Van is a used up man
and with him we'll beat Little Van
all the country through?
It is the ball a-rolling on
for Tippecanoe and Tyler too
and with him we'll beat Little Van, Van
Van is a used up man
and with him we'll beat Little Van
Sure, let 'em talk about hard cider (cider cider)
and log cabins too
't'will only help to speed the ball
for Tippecanoe and Tyler too
and with him we'll beat Little Van, Van
Van is a used up man
and with him we'll beat Little Van
Like the rush of mighty waters (waters waters)
onward it will go
And of course we'll bring you through
for Tippecanoe and Tyler too
and with him we'll beat Little Van, Van
Van is a used up man
and with him we'll beat Little Van
Lyrics submitted by emmalee1014
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The lyrics are from an 1840 electioneering song promoting the US president that was in office for the shortest amount of time, William Henry Harrison. Harrison was a general that led US forces to victory at the battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. President in 1840 Martin Van Buren was getting unpopular in the common ranks, and Harrison poised himself as a man of the people and then defeated Van Buren in the election. However, at his 1841 inauguration, Harrison contracted a cold that turned into pneumonia that lead to his death later that year. The songs lyrics were written down, but the music was not, and the original music is lost to time. One urban legend states that the music actually varied from region to region. They Might Be Giants recorded this song originally for a CD called The Future Sound of America, which was for moveon.org, a citizen's group. Although they later released it on Venue Songs. The band is comparing the dislike of Martin Van Buren in 1840 to the dislike of George W. Bush of 2004. Sadly, Bush won.