Story Behind The Song

One of the reason I didn't learn long division until I was in the 6th or 7th grade.....

Song Description

This is a ballad of the day dreams of a 10 year old boy in the mid 1950's. Every day after lunch, when everyone took out their math books, he'd escape into a day dream about his hero, Hopalong Cassidy. He'd spend the hour thinking of last Saturdays TV show but would imagine himself as Hoppy's "sidekick". Hoppy, riding Topper and the boy on his horse would ride the range doing what Hoppy did. Later in life the little boy grew in to a man. His daydream became a reality; he still caught bad guys. The only difference was instead of riding a Thoroughbred, he was driving a Mustang.

Lyrics

Hoppy, Topper and Me By Jim Miller Copyright 2005

Spoken
When I was in the fifth grade, supposed to be learning long division.
I?d stare out the window, con-sumed in my afternoon vision.
When everyone took out their books, I had a place I needed to go,
Helping Hoppy and Topper catch bad-guys, from Saturday?s, TV show.

verse
Hoppy?d ride up on Topper, hand me the reins to my horse.
We?d set out to right some wrongs, and to do some fighting of course.
Begin vocal
His name was Hopalong Cassidy, but Hoppy was how he was known,
Some-day I?d be just like Hoppy, and catch some bad guys on my
own.
Chorus
Everyone looked up to Hoppy, he was a po-lite and a gentle man,
When Hoppy shot at a bad guy, he?d just shoot the gun out of his hand.
He was kind to women and children, the sick, the poor and to strays
He had a low tolerance for bad guys, so they tried stayin? out of his way.

verse
Hoppy didn?t have any family, he spent most of his time alone
A camp fire on the prairie, was the place that he called home
I think his heart had been broken, so he chose the life that he lived
Helping others with their problems, trying to forget about his.

He wore, black clothes to work, and his hair was as white as the snow
And he always passed on his wisdom, at the end of each Saturday?s show.
He?d re-mind you to say your prayers, to be kind to your mom and
dad.
He always straight and honest, because his word, was about all,
that he had.

Afternoons we?d go riding, and we?d always help out the law
I was a good side-kick for Hoppy, cause I wasn?t always running my jaw.
To-gether we?d round up bad guys; we always stayed til the work
was done
Hats on our head, guns at our side, we?d ride into, the settin? sun.

Chorus
My teach-ers nev-er asked me, where my mind went after lunch.
I had some horses to round up, I had me some cattle to punch.
No one noticed me going, to the place where I?d rather be
Riding the range, catching bad guys, just Hoppy, Topper and Me

Everyone looked up to Hoppy, he was a po-lite and a gentle man,
When Hoppy shot at a bad guy, he?d just shoot the gun out of his hand.
He was kind to women and children, the sick, the poor and to strays
He had a low tolerance for bad guys, so they tried stayin? out of his
way.

Verse
It?s been years since me and Hoppy, were riding out in the west
I still wear a gun and catch bad guys, but now I wear a bullet proof vest.
My work clothes are black like Hoppy?s; Topper?s now a Mustang
made by Ford
In fifty years one things the same, a man?s, still only as good as his
word.

Chorus
My teach-ers nev-er asked me, where my mind went after lunch.
I had some horses to round up, I had me some cattle to punch.
No one noticed me going, to the place where I?d rather be
Riding the range catching bad guys, Hoppy, Topper and Me.
Riding the range, catching bad guys,

Hoppy, Topper and Me.