The Auctioneer Lyrics - Gordon Lightfoot

There was a boy in Arkansas 

Who wouldn't listen to his ma 

When she told him that he should go to school 

He'd sneak away in the afternoon 

Take a little walk and pretty soon 

You'd find him at the local auction barn 

Well, he'd stand and listen carefully 

Then pretty soon he began to see 

How the auctioneer could talk so rapidly 

His pappy'd find him behind the barn 

Just a workin up an awful storm 

As he tried to immitate the auctioneer 

25 Dollar 30 now 30 dollar etc 

Who will bid it at a 35 dollar bid 

30 Dollar 35 etc 

Who will bid it at a 35 dollar bid 

Said his pappy, "son we just can't stand a havin' 

A mediocre man 

You gotta take that auction usin' our good name 

I'll send you off to auction school 

And then you'll be nobody's fool 

You'll be the best of all the auctioneers 

35 Dollar 40 dollar etc 

Who will bid it a a 45 dollar bid 

40 Dollar etc 

Who will bid it at a 45 dollar bid 

Well from that morning he went to school 

There grew a man who played it cool 

He came back home a full fledged auctioneer 

And people came from miles around 

Just to hear him make that rhythmic sound 

Cause he's the best of all the auctioneers 

Well his fame reached out from shore to shore 

He had all he could do and more 

He had to buy a plane to get around 

Now he's the best in all the land 

So let's all give that man a hand 

He's the best of all the auctioneers 

45 Dollar 50 now etc 

Who will bid it at a 55 dollar bid 

50 Dollar 50 now will you give me 55 etc 

Sold that horse for a 50 dollar bill