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Grandma Caught The Shark

from Olympia - A True Story by Tom Dyer and The True Olympians

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    3 CD box set with 40 songs about Olympia WA plus a detailed 80 page book with the history behind the songs and a plethora of great photos. With over 100 Olympa musicians. Stunning!

    Includes unlimited streaming of Olympia - A True Story via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Buy the Full Digital Album

about

This is a 100% true story about my grandparents. No facts have been changed, altered, or exaggerated! My brother Bruce tells the story a little differently, but that’s what happens with old family fish stories. When Fred and Faith went out to snag the beast, they had no idea it was a toothless basking shark. It could have been a man-eating Great White for all they knew. It wasn’t. Where the story ends (according to my sister Susan), after it was rotting, stinking up the beach and the neighbors were complaining, they sold it to some guys in Shelton
to make perfume. That might be true, too.
The writing on the newspaper is from my grandpa, Fred Kroll, a note sent to my father Bruce out in Iowa, where the 4-year-old me still lived.

Recording this song with the Oly Mountain Boys (who have many great albums which you should buy) was absolute adrenalin-pumping fun for me. We did it 100% live – didn’t even wear headphones – we just rocked it in my living room. Get it right or go home. So much fun. Thanks, Mountain Boys!
PS: The True Olympians think banjo player Tye is a mighty fine Thurston County Commissioner.
The Oly Mountain Boys olymountainboys.com

lyrics

In 1957, a leviathan was seen
Slowly swimming the length of Mud Bay
Its fin cut thru the water like a razor blade
The tension on the shore grew every day
Into that breach stepped Freddie and Faith Kroll
Their nerves were steel
They were not afraid
They grabbed their gaff hook and their .22
And pushed their rowboat off into the bay
Faith was the rower
Pullin' strong and true
Fred took the bow
As they approached the beast
Down came the gaff hook
The monster had been snagged
Off they went on one big trip around the bay

Grandma caught the shark
Grandpa caught the shark
Grandma and Grandpa caught the shark
Fred and Faith Kroll caught the biggest shark
The biggest shark the Puget Sound had ever seen

The mighty shark it pulled them zooming round the bay
While Fred held to that gaff hook for dear life
The shark it slipped the hook and swam quickly away
But Fred and Faith were not to be denied
Faith pulled on the oars and made up steady ground
And once again my grandpa was in range
Down came that gaff and pulled the shark's head high
He killed the beast with one sure pistol shot

Grandma caught the shark
Grandpa caught the shark
Grandma and Grandpa caught the shark
Fred and Faith Kroll caught the biggest shark
The biggest shark the Puget Sound had ever seen

They towed the shark to shore and brought it to the beach
From head to tail it measured twelve feet long
And much to their surprise, the shark had not a tooth
A toothless basking shark is what they caught
Now if it was today when they caught that shark
People would say that shark must be saved
In 1957, people did not think that way
They cheered the shark as it went to the grave
Their picture made the headline of the Daily O
Quote: Toothless Basking Shark Killed In Bay, end quote
The neighborhood kids all came round for pictures with the beast
And in their hearts, it's bigger every day

Grandma caught the shark
Grandpa caught the shark
Grandma and Grandpa caught the shark
Fred and Faith Kroll caught the biggest shark
The biggest shark the Puget Sound had ever seen

credits

from Olympia - A True Story, released October 14, 2022
Tom Dyer + The Oly Mountain Boys: Tye Menser - Banjo & Backing Vocals; Phil Post - Bass & Backing Vocals; Josh Grice - Fiddle; Gary Cooper - Guitar; River Scheuerell - Mandolin

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Tom Dyer and The True Olympians Olympia, Washington

The True Olympians were formed shortly after Tom Dyer moved back to his hometown Olympia in 2006. Their focus is primarily recording, though they do play yer occasional live show. Current members: Tom - vox, guitar etc,, Gene Tveden- bass, b-vox, Joe Cason - keys, b-vox, Lisa Ceazan- vocals, and Jeff Parkhurst - drums, b-vox. Jeff is the band's 4th drummer. ... more

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