Mr. Custer

"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 No. 1 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 No. 9. It reached No. 12 in Canada, also October 10, 1960.

Reception
In a retrospective review for his Number Ones column, Stereogum writer Tom Breihan panned the song, giving it one star out of ten while calling it "offensive", "morally wrongheaded", and "unlistenable musically".

Weekly charts

 * Larry Verne
 * Charlie Drake
 * Ted Lune

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

 * "Mr. Custer" was also a success in the UK Singles Chart for Charlie Drake in 1960, his third such chart hit.
 * Novelty/country singer-songwriter Ray Stevens covered this song for his 1969 album Gitarzan.