Mr. Custer
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"Mr. Custer" is a march novelty song, sung by Larry Verne, and written by Al De Lory, Fred Darian, and Joseph Van Winkle.
Background
It is a comical song about a soldier's plea to General Custer before the climactic Battle of the Little Bighorn against the Sioux, to allow him to stay behind, because he had a bad dream about the battle.
Chart performance
It was a number-one song in the United States in 1960, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the issue dated October 10, 1960, and remained there for one week. On the US Hot R&B Sides chart, it went to number 9. It reached number 12 in Canada, also October 10, 1960.
Reception
In a retrospective review for his Number Ones column in 2018, Stereogum writer Tom Breihan panned the song, giving it one star out of ten while calling it "offensive", "morally wrongheaded", and "unlistenable musically".
Chart history
| Chart (1960) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Weekly charts Larry Verne Chart (1960) Peak position Canada CHUM Chart 12 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 1 U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Sides 9 U.S. Cash Box Top 100 3 Charlie Drake Chart (1960–61) Peak position New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) 7 UK Singles (OCC) 12 Ted Lune Chart (1960) Peak position New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) 4 | Year-end charts Chart (1960) Rank U.S. Billboard Hot 100 42 U.S. Cash Box 26 |
| Canada CHUM Chart | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Sides | 9 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 3 |
| Chart (1960–61) | Peak position |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) | 7 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 12 |
| Chart (1960) | Peak position |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) | 4 |
| Chart (1960) | Rank |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 42 |
| U.S. Cash Box | 26 |
Sequel
A follow-up record, "Return of Mr. Custer (Please Mr. Sittin' Bull)", was released in 1964, which used the same melody and music arrangement, but it failed to chart.
Cover versions
- La Mesa California band "The Search" covered this in 1967.
- "Mr. Custer" was also a number-12 success in the UK Singles Chart for Charlie Drake in 1960, his third such chart hit.
- Novelty/country singer-songwriter Ray Stevens covered the song for his 1969 album Gitarzan.