Lyrics for the album "Oklahoma" by Musical Lyrics for the album "Oklahoma" by Musical Oh, What A Beautiful Morning There's a bright golden haze on the meadow There's a bright golden haze on the meadow The corn is as high as an elephant's eye And it looks like it's climbing right up to the sky Oh what a beautiful morning Oh what a beautiful day I've got a beautiful feeling Everything's going my way All the cattle are standing like statues All the cattle are standing like statues They don't turn their heads as they see me ride by But a little brown mav'rick is winking her eye Oh what a beautiful morning Oh what a beautiful day I've got a beautiful feeling Everything's going my way All the sounds of the earth are like music All the sounds of the earth are like music The breeze is so busy it don't miss a tree And an ol' weeping willow is laughing at me Oh what a beautiful morning Oh what a beautiful day I've got a beautiful feeling Everything's going my way The Surrey With The Fringe On Top [Curly] When I take you out, tonight, with me Honey, here's the way it's gonna be You will set behind a team of snow white horses In

 the slickest gig you ever see Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry When I take you out in the surrey When I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top Watch that fringe and see how it flutters When I drive them high steppin' strutters Nosy folks'll peek thru' their shutters and their eyes will pop The wheels are yeller, the upholstery's brown The dashboard's genuine leather With isinglass curtains y' can roll right down In case there's a change in the weather Two bright sidelight's winkin' and blinkin' Ain't no finer rig I'm a-thinkin' You c'n keep your rig if you're thinkin' 'at I'd keer to swap Fer that shiny, little surrey with the fringe on the top All the world'll fly in a flurry When I take you out in the surrey When I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top When we hit that road, hell fer leather Cats and dogs'll dance in the heather Birds and frogs'll sing all together and the toads will hop The wind'll whistle as we rattle along The cows'll moo in the clover The river will ripple out a whispered song And whisper it

 over and over Don't you wisht y'd go on forever Don't you wisht y'd go on forever Don't you wisht y'd go on forever and ud never stop In that shiny, little surrey with the fringe on the top I can see the stars gettin' blurry When we drive back home in the surrey Drivin' slowly home in the surrey with the fringe on top I can feel the day gettin' older Feel a sleepy head on my shoulder Noddin', droopin' close to my shoulder, till it falls kerplop The sun is swimmin' on the rim of a hill The moon is takin' a header And jist as I'm thinkin' all the earth is still A lark'll wake up in the medder Hush, you bird, my baby's a-sleepin' Maybe got a dream worth a-keepin' Whoa!

you team, and jist keep a-creepin' at a slow clip clop Don't you hurry with the surrey with the fringe on the top Kansas City [Will] I got to Kansas City on a Frid'y By Saturdy I learnt a thing or two For up to then I didn't have an idy Of whut the modren world was comin' to! I counted twenty gas buggies goin' by theirsel's Almost ev'ry time I tuk a walk 'Nen I put my ear to a Bell Telephone And a strange womin started in to talk! [Aunt Eller] Whut next!? [Will's friends] Yeah whut!? [Will] Whut next? Ev'rythin's up to date in Kansas City They've gone about as fur as they c'n go! They went and built a skyscraper seven stories high About as high as a buildin' oughta grow Ev'rythin's like a dream in Kansas City It's better than a magic lantern show!

Y' c'n turn the radiator on whenever you want some heat With ev'ry kind o' comfort ev'ry house is all complete You c'n walk to privies in the rain and never wet your feet! They've gone about as fur as they c'n go [All] Yes sir! They've gone about as fur as they c'n go! [Will] Ev'rythin's up to date in Kansas City They've gone about as fur as they c'n go! They got a big theayter they call a burleeque Fer fifty cents you c'n see a dandy show [One of the men] Girls?! [Will] One of the gals was fat and pink and pretty As round above as she was round below I could swear that she was padded from her shoulder to her heel But later in the second act when she began to peel She proved that ev'rythin' she had was absolutely real! She went about as fur as she could go [All] Yes sir! She went about as fur as she could go! (Will begins doing the two-step alone) [One of the men (spoken)] Watcha doin' Will? [Will (spoken)] It's called the two step!

It's all they're doin' nowadays. The waltz is through. Catch on? Of course they don't do it alone. Come on Aunt Eller! (Will grabs Aunt Eller and they dance for a while) [Aunt Eller (falling back into her place, exhausted)] And that's about as fur as I c'n go! [All] Yes sir! And that's about as fur as she c'n go! (Will begins to do ragtime alone) [Another man (spoken)] Watcha doin' now, Will? [Will (spoken)] It's called Ragtime, seen a couple fellers doin' it (All men and a few passing women stop to dance for a while.) [All (while still dancing)] And that's about as fur as we c'n go! I Cain't Say No! [Ado Annie] It ain't so much a question of not knowin' what to do I knowed whut's right and wrong since I been ten I heared a lota stories and I reckon they are true About how girls're put upon by men I know I mustn't fall into the pit But when I'm with a feller, I fergit!

I'm jist a girl who cain't say no I'm in a turrible fix I always say "come on, let's go" Jist when I orta say nix! When a person tries to kiss a girl I know she oughta give his face a smack But as soon as someone kisses me I somehow, sorta, wanta kiss him back! I'm jist a fool when lights are low I cain't be prissy and quaint I ain't the type that can faint How c'n I be whut I ain't? I cain't say no! Whut you goin' to do when a feller gits flirty And starts to talk purty? whut you goin' to do? S'posin' 'at he says 'at yer lips're like cherries Er roses, er berries? Whut you goin' to do? S'posin' 'at he says 'at you're sweeter 'n cream And he's gotta have cream er die? Whut you goin' to do when he talks that way Spit in his eye?

I'm jist a girl who cain't say no Cain't seem to say it at all I hate to disserpoint a beau When he is payin' a call! Fer a while I ack refined and cool A settin on the velveteen setee Nen I think of thet ol' golden rule And do fer him what he would do fer me! I cain't resist a Romeo In a sombrero and chaps Soon as I sit on their laps Somethin' inside of me snaps I cain't say no! People Will Say We're In Love [Laurey] Why do they think up stories that link my name with yours? [Curly] Why do the neighbors chatter all day, behind their doors? [Laurey] I know a way to prove what they say is quite untrue Here is the gist, a practical list of "don'ts" for you Don't throw bouquets at me Don't please my folks too much Don't laugh at my jokes too much People will say we're in love! Don't sigh and gaze at me Your sighs are so like mine Your eyes mustn't glow like mine People will say we're in love!

Don't start collecting things Give me my rose and my glove Sweetheart they're suspecting things People will say we're in love [Curly] Some people claim that you are to blame as much as I Why do you take the trouble to bake my favrite pie? Granted your wish, I carved our initials on that tree Just keep a slice of all the advice you give, so free Don't praise my charm too much Don't look so vain with me Don't stand in the rain with me People will say we're in love! Don't take my arm too much Don't keep your hand in mine Your hand feels so grand in mine People will say we're in love! Don't dance all night with me Till the stars fade from above They'll see it's alright with me [both] People will say we're in love Pore Jud Is Daid [Curly] Poor Jud is dead Poor Jud Fry is dead All gather round his coffin now and cry He had a heart of gold And he wasn't very old Oh why did such a feller have to die?

Poor Jud is dead Poor Jud Fry is dead He's lookin' oh so peaceful and serene ([Jud] and serene) He's all laid out to rest With his hands acrost his chest His fingernails have never been so clean [spoken] Then the preacher'd get up and he'd say "Folks, we are gathered here to mourn and groan over our brother Jud Fry Who hung hisself up by a rope in the smokehouse" And then there'd be weepin' an' wailin' --- from some of those women --- Then he'd say, "Jud was the most misunderstood man in this territory People used to think he was a mean ugly fella and called him a dirty skunk and an ornery pig stealer [Jud gives him a dirty look] But [sung] The folks that really knowed him Knowed that beneath them two dirty shirts he always wore There beat a heart as big as all outdoors ([Jud] as big as all outdoors) Jud Fry loved his fellow man ([Jud] he loved his fellow man) [spoken] He loved the birds of the forest And the beasts of the fields He loved the mice and the vermin in the barn And he treated the rats like equals (which was

 right) He loved all the little children He loved everything and everybody in the world Only .

. .

only he never let on And nobody ever knowed it [sung] Poor Jud is dead Poor Jud Fry is dead His friends are weepin' wail for miles around ([Jud] miles around) The daisies in the dell Will give out a different smell Because poor Jud is underneath the ground [Jud] Poor Jud is dead A candle lights his head He's layin' in a coffin made of wood ([Curly] wood) And folks are feelin' sad 'Cuz they used to treat him bad And now they know their friend has gone for good ([Curly] good) [both] Poor Jud is dead A candle lights his head [Curly] He's lookin' oh so purty and so nice He looks like he's asleep It's a shame that he won't keep But it's summer and we're runnin' out a' ice [both] Poooooor Juuuuuuud Poooooor Juuuuuuud The Farmer And The Cowman [Andrew Carnes] The farmer and the cowman should be friends Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends One man likes to push a plough The other likes to chase a cow But that's no reason why they cain't be

 friends Territory folks should stick together Territory folks should all be pals Cowboys dance with farmer's daughters Farmers dance with the ranchers' gals [All] Territory folks should stick together Territory folks should all be pals Cowboys dance with farmer's daughters Farmers dance with the ranchers' gals [Andrew] I'd like to say a word for the farmer He come out west and made a lot of changes [Will] He come out west and built a lot of fences [Curly] And built 'em right acrost our cattle ranges!

[Andrew] The farmer is a good and thrifty citizen No matter what the cowman says or thinks You seldom see him drinkin' in a barroom [Curly] Unless somebody else is buying drinks! [Andrew] The farmer and the cowman should be friends Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends The cowman ropes a cow with ease The farmer steals her butter and cheese But that's no reason why they cain't be friends [All] Territory folks should stick together Territory folks should all be pals Cowboys dance with farmer's daughters Farmers dance with the ranchers' gals [Aunt Eller] I'd like to say a word for the cowboy The road he treads is difficult and stony He rides for days on end With jist a pony for a friend [Ado Annie] I sure am feelin' sorry fer the pony! [Aunt Eller] The farmer should be sociable with the cowboy If he rides by and asks for food and water Don't treat him like a louse Make him welcome in yer house [Andrew] But be sure that you lock up yer wife and daughter!

(fight breaks loose, Aunt Eller fires a gun and everyone freezes) [Aunt Eller] Ain't nobody gonna slug out anythin'. Sing it Andrew! (Points gun at Carnes) Dum- didy-dum-dum-dum! [Andrew] The farmer and the cowman should be friends [Added voices] Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends [All] One man likes to push a plough The other likes to chase a cow But that's no reason why they can't be friends [Aunt Eller] I'd like to teach you all a little sayin' And learn the words by heart the way you should I don't say I'm no better than anybody else But I'll be damned if I ain't jist as good! [All] I don't say I'm no better than anybody else But I'll be damned if I ain't jist as good! Territory folks should stick together Territory folks should all be pals Cowboys dance with farmer's daughters Farmers dance with the ranchers' gals! All Er Nothin' [Will] [Ado Annie] You'll have to be a little more standoffish When fellers offer you a buggy ride .

I'll give a imitation of a crawfish . And dig myself a hole where I can hide I heared how you was kickin' up some capers When I was off in Kansas City M-O I heard some things you couldn't print in papers From fellers who been talkin' like they know! . Foot! . I only did the kind of things I orta, sorta . To you I was as faithful as c'n be fer me . Them stories 'bout the way I lost my bloomers - Rumors! . A lot of tempest in a pot o' tea! The whole thing don't sound very good to me . Well, y' see.... I go and sow my last wild oat I cut out all shenanigans I save my money, don't gamble or drink In the back room down at Flannigans I give up lotsa other things A gentleman never mentions But before I give up anymore I wanta know your intentions With me it's all er nuthin' Is it all er nuthin' with you?

It cain't be "in between" It cain't be "now and then" No half and half romance will do I'm a one woman man, Home lovin' type All complete with slippers and pipe Take me like I am, er leave me be If you cain't give me all, give me nuthin' And nuthin's whut you'll git from me . Not even sump'n? Nuthin's whut you'll git from me . Would you build me a house . All painted white . Neat and clean and shiny and bright? Big enough fer two but not fer three! . Supposin' that we should have a third one....? He better look a lot like me! . The spittin' image! He better look a lot like me! . With you it's all er nuthin' . All fer you and nuthin' fer me! . But if a wife is wise, she's gotta realize . That men like you are wild and free . So I ain't gonna fuss, ain't gonna frown . Have your fun, go out on the town . Stay up late and don't come home till three .

And go right off to sleep if you're sleepy . There's no use waitin' up fer me! Oh, Ado Annie! . No use waitin' up fer me! Come on and kiss me Oklahoma They couldn't pick a better time to start in life It ain't too early and it ain't too late Starting as a farmer with a brand new wife Soon be living in a brand new state Brand new state, gonna treat you great! Gonna give you barley, carrots and pertaters Pasture fer the cattle, spinach and termayters Flowers on the prarie where the June bugs zoom Plen'y of air and plen'y of room Plen'y of room to swing a rope Plen'y of heart and plen'y of hope Oklahoma! Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain Where the waving wheat Can sure smell sweet When the wind comes right behind the rain Oklahoma! Every night my honey-lamb and I Sit alone and talk And watch a hawk Making lazy circles in the sky We know we belong to the land And the land we belong to is grand And when we say Yeeow! Ayipioeeay! Yeeow!

We're only saying "You're doin' fine Oklahoma" Oklahoma O-K O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A Oklahoma! “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” - The Big Picture “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” July 5, 2011 7:30am by “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” Fourth of July, 2011 cumber.com ~~~ It was in the grand days of America when Richard Rogers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein (lyrics) won two Oscars with “Oklahoma.” The show/movie is quintessentially a post-World War 2, post-Korean War, pre-Vietnam War American statement. In the mid-1950s, our citizens had confidence. Our government commanded and earned our confidence. It was led by popular President/General Dwight Eisenhower. Americans were optimistic, the economy was growing; the national debt/GDP ratio was declining; the populace developed families and owner-occupied, single-family housing. We had good public schools. We trusted our banks. We respected our public officials. When “Oklahoma” was popular, Americans believed in their forward-looking dreams.

If memory serves me correctly, on July 4, 1956, I marched in a parade with my Boy Scout troop at Camp Kimble, in southern New Jersey. I was an Eagle Scout with three palms and the Order of the Arrow, and a junior scout-camp counselor. We scouts had a mission. We believed in and taught younger boys the mission and the virtue of America. We recited “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” And we meant it. True: we weren’t always “cheerful.” The songs of “Oklahoma” captured the feelings of America: “Oh, what a beautiful mornin’, Oh, what a beautiful day. I got a beautiful feelin’ Ev’rything’s goin’ my way.” Fast-forward to today. Look in the mirror and answer truthfully. If you are old enough to remember those halcyon days, do you feel the nostalgia? Is the remembrance bittersweet? Would you walk outside and sing this song today? Let’s get to the corn and the height of an elephant’s eye. Then we shall return to the Fourth of July.

In the last few weeks, we have watched the roller-coaster reports on the corn harvest from the US Department of Agriculture. During the last month, they were very bullish, and then they were bearish, and then they were bullish. To quote our friend Dennis Gartman, “Reflecting the uncertainty of the report and the skepticism with which the numbers have been received,” the USDA has issued a clarifying statement saying they may issue a clarifying statement. It will be released on August 11. Until then, “Confusion will reign,” says Dennis. A quick digression: readers may want to mark their calendars for Feb. 8, 2012 and attend a special conference in Memphis regarding food prices. Dennis Gartman, an ag economist by training, will be keynoting the dinner. The University of Memphis and the Memphis Economics Club are teaming with GIC for this one. Call GIC, 215-898-9453, to get on the early-bird list. Back to corn.

GIC board member Michael Drury noted that the “government numbers assumed an average year for acres harvested.” Michael is a personal friend and chief economist at McVean Trading, one of the premier private grain and livestock futures trading operations in the United States. He added that “There are 6 million acres in North and South Dakota where flooding has been severe.” They were planted late (or maybe not at all), but the driving force (Kotok’s view) may have been to collect insurance claims. The crop yield from these late plantings may be insignificant. There is also controversy about the inventory numbers. And about what the foreign holdings of corn reveal or do not reveal. And there is the distortion that continues because of ethanol subsidies and mandated use, which directs as much as 40% of the corn crop into fuel instead of food. This persists while American policy practices protectionism, so sugar ethanol is not imported. It is much less costly than corn ethanol. Okay, enjoy the ear of corn on the Fourth of July. And the beef and chicken and other foods that depend on America’s grains. Try to remember that American policy is now starving millions of people in the world because we are driving food prices ever higher.

Perhaps we can think about that as we watch presidential candidates genuflect to Iowans. Perhaps, those candidates who are skipping the Iowa caucuses deserve more of our respect. Time will tell. America’s greatness was captured by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. His final draft said “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Historical legend has it that Jefferson’s first draft said “life, liberty, and property.” Jefferson realized that slaves were considered property in some of the original 13 colonies. He knew he could not be honest with his conscience by using the word property, so he changed the next draft to “happiness.” But he realized that wasn’t the best phrasing either. Happiness is very hard to obtain. It is the American quality of seeking it that shone through in Jefferson’s brilliant choice of words. He used “the pursuit of happiness.” Pursuit is the operative word. Jefferson’s teachings are to watch government closely while working to care for and nurture individual life and liberty. He warned about complaisance. And he called for hard work and honest government. Jefferson and his colleagues did not envision ethanol subsidies nor an American congress like we have today. We will end with a more obscure American quote.

It originates with Calvin Coolidge. By reputation, “Silent Cal” never said anything using more than two words. The famous story about “You lose” is the classic. We were discussing the American work ethic, American policy options, and the current economic outlook with Tabitha LeTourneau Meyerer. She is a principal with Excelsior Capital in Boca Raton. Tabitha subsequently sent me this terrific quote that Coolidge used to describe the framework for his policy views. “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” So said the 30th president of the United States. We wish our readers a joyful celebration of America’s birthday. We citizens are determined, persist, and succeed in spite of our government, not because of it. Silent Cal can add words to Jefferson’s classic text on this Fourth of July.

American’s birthday: “Oh, what a beautiful day.” ~~~ David R. Kotok, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer Spread the wealth. Oklahoma (1955 film) - Wikiquote Oklahoma (1955 film) Jump to: navigation , search Oklahoma! is a 1955 musical film about a couple of young cowboys who win the hearts of their sweethearts in the Oklahoma territory at the turn of the century. Directed by Fred Zinnemann . Written by Sonya Levien and William Ludwig , based on the play by Oscar Hammerstein II . Now a motion picture as big as all outdoors! taglines Contents [singing] There's a bright golden haze on the meadow, There's a bright golden haze on the meadow. The corn is as high as a elephant's eye, And it looks like it's climbin' clear up to the sky. Oh, what a beautiful mornin', Oh, what a beautiful day! I got a beautiful feelin' Everything's goin' my way. [singing] Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry When I take you out in the surrey, When I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top!

Watch that fringe and see how it flutters When I drive them high steppin' strutters. Nosey pokes'll peek thru' their shutters and their eyes will pop! The wheels are yeller, the upholstery's brown, The dashboard's genuine leather, With isinglass curtains y' can roll right down, In case there's a change in the weather. The Surrey With the Fringe On Top [about Laurey] If she liked me any more, she'd sic the dogs on me. [to Jud] How did you get to be the way you are anyhow? A-sittin' up here in this filthy hole? [referring to the smokehouse] Why don't you do something healthy once in a while, instead of staying shut up here, a-crawlin' and a-festerin'? Others[ edit ] Carnes: [to Ali, cocking his gun] That's enough. In this country that better be a proposal of marriage. Ali Hakim: [about Gertie Cummings] I wanted to marry her when I saw the moonlight shining on the barrel of her father's shotgun. Aunt Eller Murphy: [jumping up] NAAAAA, scared me ta death!

Watch'you doin' róund here? Aunt Eller Murphy: [with gun in hand] SING! SING! C'mon now! Sing! Jud Fry: [to Laurey] I'm a hired hand. I got dirt on my hands. Pig slime. I ain't fit to touch you, am I - you're better. Oh, you're so much better! Well we'll see how much better you are, Miss Laurey, and then you won't be so free and easy and hifalutin' with your airs! You such a FINE lady! Ado Annie: Sometimes there seems like times that men ain't got no need for women. Girl: There's sometimes women ain't got no need for men. Ado Annie: Yeah, but who wants to be dead? Will: Now that I got that fifty dollars, you name the date. Ado Annie: August 15th. Ado Annie: Because that was the first day I'se kissed! Will: Oh was it? I didn't remember that! Ado Annie: You wasn't there. Laurey: Curly! You're sittin' on the stove! Curly: Yeouch!

[Jumps up, feels the stove] Curly: Cold as a hunk of ice. Laurey: Wish it would've burned a hole in your pants. Ali: It's a wonderful thing to be married. I got a brother in Persia got six wives. Ado Annie: Six wives all at once? Will: Why, sure. That's the way they do in them countries. Ali: Not always; I got a brother in Persia only got one wife. He's a bachelor. Ado Annie: He called me his Persian kitten! Carnes: What'd you call her that for? Ali: Ohh - I don't remember... Ado Annie: I do! He said I's like a Persian kitten cause they is the cats with the soft round tails! Ali: You'd hardly ever see your daughter no more! Carnes: That'd be all right. Just take care of her, son. Will: I don't know what to make of you! You're too purty to be a skunk! Too thin to be a snake! Too little to be a man, and too big to be a mouse! I reckon you're a rat! Ali: That's logical.

Aunt Eller Murphy: [singing] I'd like to say a word for the cowboys. Carnes: Oh, you would, would you? Aunt Eller Murphy: [singing] The road he treads is difficult and stony. He rides for days on end with just a pony for a friend... Ado Annie: I sure am feelin' sorry for the pony! “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” - The Big Picture “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” July 5, 2011 7:30am by “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” Fourth of July, 2011 cumber.com ~~~ It was in the grand days of America when Richard Rogers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein (lyrics) won two Oscars with “Oklahoma.” The show/movie is quintessentially a post-World War 2, post-Korean War, pre-Vietnam War American statement. In the mid-1950s, our citizens had confidence. Our government commanded and earned our confidence. It was led by popular President/General Dwight Eisenhower.

Americans were optimistic, the economy was growing; the national debt/GDP ratio was declining; the populace developed families and owner-occupied, single-family housing. We had good public schools. We trusted our banks. We respected our public officials. When “Oklahoma” was popular, Americans believed in their forward-looking dreams. If memory serves me correctly, on July 4, 1956, I marched in a parade with my Boy Scout troop at Camp Kimble, in southern New Jersey. I was an Eagle Scout with three palms and the Order of the Arrow, and a junior scout-camp counselor. We scouts had a mission. We believed in and taught younger boys the mission and the virtue of America. We recited “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” And we meant it. True: we weren’t always “cheerful.” The songs of “Oklahoma” captured the feelings of America: “Oh, what a beautiful mornin’, Oh, what a beautiful day. I got a beautiful feelin’ Ev’rything’s goin’ my way.” Fast-forward to today.

Look in the mirror and answer truthfully. If you are old enough to remember those halcyon days, do you feel the nostalgia? Is the remembrance bittersweet? Would you walk outside and sing this song today? Let’s get to the corn and the height of an elephant’s eye. Then we shall return to the Fourth of July. In the last few weeks, we have watched the roller-coaster reports on the corn harvest from the US Department of Agriculture. During the last month, they were very bullish, and then they were bearish, and then they were bullish. To quote our friend Dennis Gartman, “Reflecting the uncertainty of the report and the skepticism with which the numbers have been received,” the USDA has issued a clarifying statement saying they may issue a clarifying statement. It will be released on August 11. Until then, “Confusion will reign,” says Dennis. A quick digression: readers may want to mark their calendars for Feb. 8, 2012 and attend a special conference in Memphis regarding food prices. Dennis Gartman, an ag economist by training, will be keynoting the dinner.

The University of Memphis and the Memphis Economics Club are teaming with GIC for this one. Call GIC, 215-898-9453, to get on the early-bird list. Back to corn. GIC board member Michael Drury noted that the “government numbers assumed an average year for acres harvested.” Michael is a personal friend and chief economist at McVean Trading, one of the premier private grain and livestock futures trading operations in the United States. He added that “There are 6 million acres in North and South Dakota where flooding has been severe.” They were planted late (or maybe not at all), but the driving force (Kotok’s view) may have been to collect insurance claims. The crop yield from these late plantings may be insignificant. There is also controversy about the inventory numbers. And about what the foreign holdings of corn reveal or do not reveal. And there is the distortion that continues because of ethanol subsidies and mandated use, which directs as much as 40% of the corn crop into fuel instead of food. This persists while American policy practices protectionism, so sugar ethanol is not imported. It is much less costly than corn ethanol.

Okay, enjoy the ear of corn on the Fourth of July. And the beef and chicken and other foods that depend on America’s grains. Try to remember that American policy is now starving millions of people in the world because we are driving food prices ever higher. Perhaps we can think about that as we watch presidential candidates genuflect to Iowans. Perhaps, those candidates who are skipping the Iowa caucuses deserve more of our respect. Time will tell. America’s greatness was captured by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. His final draft said “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Historical legend has it that Jefferson’s first draft said “life, liberty, and property.” Jefferson realized that slaves were considered property in some of the original 13 colonies. He knew he could not be honest with his conscience by using the word property, so he changed the next draft to “happiness.” But he realized that wasn’t the best phrasing either. Happiness is very hard to obtain. It is the American quality of seeking it that shone through in Jefferson’s brilliant choice of words. He used “the pursuit of happiness.” Pursuit is the operative word.

Jefferson’s teachings are to watch government closely while working to care for and nurture individual life and liberty. He warned about complaisance. And he called for hard work and honest government. Jefferson and his colleagues did not envision ethanol subsidies nor an American congress like we have today. We will end with a more obscure American quote. It originates with Calvin Coolidge. By reputation, “Silent Cal” never said anything using more than two words. The famous story about “You lose” is the classic. We were discussing the American work ethic, American policy options, and the current economic outlook with Tabitha LeTourneau Meyerer. She is a principal with Excelsior Capital in Boca Raton. Tabitha subsequently sent me this terrific quote that Coolidge used to describe the framework for his policy views. “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” So said the 30th president of the United States. We wish our readers a joyful celebration of America’s birthday. We citizens are determined, persist, and succeed in spite of our government, not because of it. Silent Cal can add words to Jefferson’s classic text on this Fourth of July. American’s birthday: “Oh, what a beautiful day.” ~~~ David R. Kotok, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer Spread the wealth. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning Lyrics - Oklahoma musical Oh, What a Beautiful Morning lyrics Oh, What a Beautiful Morning lyrics Oh, What a Beautiful Morning Curly: There's a bright, golden haze on the meadow There's a bright, golden haze on the meadow. The corn is as high as an elephant's eye And it looks like it's climbing clear up to the sky. Oh, what a beautiful Mornin' Oh, what a beautiful day. I've got a beautiful feelin' Everything's goin' my way.

All the cattle are standin' like statues All the cattle are standin' like statues They don't turn their heads as they see me ride by But a little brown mav'rick is winkin' her eye Oh, what a beautiful Mornin' Oh, what a beautiful day. I've got a beautiful feelin' Everything's goin' my way. All the sounds of the earth are like music All the sounds of the earth are like music The breeze is so busy it don't miss a tree An' a ol' weepin' willer is laughin' at me Oh, what a beautiful Mornin' Oh, what a beautiful day. I've got a beautiful feelin' Everything's goin' my way. Oh, what a beautiful day! Last Update: June, 24th 2013 Oh What A Beautiful Morning! - YouTube Oh What A Beautiful Morning! Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Apr 7, 2008 Oklahoma my country...

Question: Which famous song from the musical Oklahoma contains the lyrics "The Corn Is High As An Elephant’s Eye" ?
Answer: OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING