My road to Frog Holler, by Paul Burger

Yeah, Spike Spinach here. I'm back and I guess I'm stickin' around for a while. That frog lady's been kinda low since Mr. Frog Farmer got harvested and she don't do much with her little bump on a frog log. Sheez, she missed th' whole spinach season and a lot of good material as far as I's concerned.

But I can kinda understand. I liked that guy too - man, he could really hoe a row. Shined us up mighty fine when he was done. And remember when I was educatin' you good folks 'bout how spinach gets planted practickly in th' middle of winter while all them little hothouse seedlings is cuddlin' up to their energy-hog "germination mats?" Awww, ain't they cute? Well, somebuddy has to plant us spinaches out ther in the wind and snow and it was always Mr. Farmer frog. Th' weather just didn't faze him. Come to think of it, there must have been a little spinach in him.

So I thinks to hitch a ride over to the memorial a whiles back to pay my respects. Like I said, I liked that guy. So I made it to the church and stopped off at the food hall first. Steered a wide berth 'round the dude puttin' spinach leaves on th' radish sandwiches. Guess I'll let the spinach crew at Community Farm get that glory.

Made it into the hall where they was doing the memorial and scooted next to this guy who was blubberin' - figgered I could freshen up my leaves a little with the fallout. Like I said, I miss the guy, but I don't make no scene. Us spinaches know what goes around comes around. We know we is all headed for someone's plate but it evens up in the end. We always make it back evenchu eventchull eventually and there was someone there who really got that. It was this guy who sent a song - not much of a singer for my taste - but the words was all right. I speshully liked that line about recycling me as best you can.

Cuz ya know that's about all we can do - be the best we can whiles we're here and let the good folks that is still stickin' around make the best of what we leave 'em. And I know he'll be back. I seen him on the farm and I can tell that guy put down a mighty deep tap root - ya can't just pull them things out.

And ya know what? When I see Mr. Holler frog again, I'm gonna ask him to be on my crew. And I'd be honored. I really would. Cuz, now that I think of it, an' I don't say this lightly, that guy didn't just have a little bit, that guy was pure spinach.

So here's th' words to that cool song - check it out!

Ken King: Earthling (Channeled by Nat Needle)

Mr. Frog Farmer Spinach


Been an Earthling all my life, always kind of loved the Earth
Don't know how it came together, but some fine Earth woman gave me birth
Got to know the soil, the songs, the plants, the people, got to be a real Earthman
Now I've moved on, so won't you please keep recycling me, as best you can
Had a notion to be a healer, to live on Earth and do no harm
Came to be a pioneer, made this sweet lush organic farm
Farming's hard work, not something, any Earthling, does by his lonesome
Found my mate, grew three big sons, whole family worked, now they own some
Organized a Farmer's Market, down in the city, some miles away
Trucked our good food to the people every Wednesday and Saturday
Farmers made money, made new friends, got ideas, got a voice
People got beans, squash, tomatoes, cauliflower; best of all, got a choice
Don't you imagine that growing farm and family's all there's been to me
I've been a man of deep convictions and abstruse philosophy
Built a barn for folks to gather in great joy, beneath the stars
Dance around, drink some beer, sing some songs, and play guitars
Now the guy who wrote this song, he had to channel me, so to speak
If he left stuff out, or got things backwards, it's 'cause his reception's somewhat weak
I told him "Get someone else to perform this song, at least get someone who can sing"
And I said, "Keep the title simple, just 'Ken King: Earth-ling'"
Been an Earthling all my life, always kind of loved the Earth
Don't know how it came together, but some fine Earth woman gave me birth
Got to know the soil, the songs, the plants, the people, got to be a real Earthman
Now I've moved on, so won't you please keep recycling me, as best you can
Now I've moved on, so won't you please keep recycling me, as best you can
Yours forever: Ken King, Earthling.
Oh, yeah.