The Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
Written & performed by three generations of his family at his 100th birthday.
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
Who for 100 years did what no man could do
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
And the craziest part is that ALL of it's true!
He was born in a red house in the north parts of Sweden
With a pig in the back shed his mama was feedin’
Twas lutefisk, round bread and palt they were eatin’
And soon enough our hero grew...
Well he rowed a wide river when he was just six
For the logs that had jammed it he figured were sticks
So he picked up the oars and he crossed it for kicks
Do you hear what I'm saying to you?
Fritz, wee nickered lad, blond cute as you’ve seen
Baked goods boat delivery, down Lulea Alvean
Pride joy of the family, at risk I’ve heard say
Uncle to the rescue allows Fritz here today
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
Who for 100 years did what no man could do
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
And the craziest part is that ALL of it's true!
Music began with an accordion he bought
Had to hand make the guitar that he sought
Played mean harmonica & grandkids he taught
And made rhyming jingles for you!
It’s a story so brave that you’ll think I’m a liar
When Fritz was just my age he put out a fire
He ran to the river and climbed a tree spire
From branches the water he threw
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
Who for 100 years did what no man could do
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
And the craziest part is that ALL of it's true!
Well this story continues though he was quite wee
At the small age of seven he crossed the great sea
With a single wood chest and his brave family
To a life, land, and language so new
He supported his family alongside his pa
By sharing one half of the rough crosscut saw
Didn’t even quit work when that chain cracked his jaw
Or when icy North winter winds blew
When the sirens of war rang he knew in his gut
He could keep those planes oiled every gear bolt and nut
From that first night he slept in a hard, cold wheel rut
He never looked back as he flew
He chose courage and honor; shipped off to Italy
Never let Hilma know just how hard it could be
He defended us all so that we could be free
In the land of the red, white and blue
With his carpenter's hands and a machinist's eye
Fritz would work mighty magic that made machines fly
And America cheered when they rose to the sky
For our freedom is why they all flew
A young knightly Fritz returned from the great war
To wed his fair true love, Lady Eleanor
"I'll buy you a house", he said; she said, "What for?"
“Let's build one, then build six more too!”
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
Who for 100 years did what no man could do
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
And the craziest part is that ALL of it's true!
For papers to build he went to school
He went to the store and he bought a tool
He made a machine and he thought it was cool
We’re surprised at what he could do
And in his great workshop he worked with his hammer
He pounded each nail with a great deal of clamor
The things he created surprised each examiner
How great grandpa’s hammer flew!
His mom asked for something to put on her dish
He tried to do something to give her her wish
Down at the stream he caught a big fish
And every day after, did too!
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
Who for 100 years did what no man could do
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
And the craziest part is that ALL of it's true!
From Poky to Dillon on a trip home to Pinehurst
Grandpa Fritz spied a blue gem that he soon called The Rig
Now he purchased that ‘burban and I don’t mean the drink sir
And took home that sweet ride that for us was so big
His Chevy Suburban was 9 people big
For a swim, for an ice cream, we rode in The Rig
And he fixed it each summer while dancing a jig
Did I mention the whole thing was blue?
Through the Montana wilds, Fritz would travel each year
To bring home those young grandkids that he held so dear
They'd exclaim with delight, “It is sure winny here!”
Laughing off a great gale as it blew
Now for years that Suburban hauled grandkids a plenty
And soon made its way to New Hampshire in June
And there came to rest in the town of North Sandwich
Where the last miles were travelled that seemed to come all too soon
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
Who for 100 years did what no man could do
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
And the craziest part is that ALL of it's true!
He took some old pallets of oak strong and sturdy
And did plane them and sand them to a table for nine
And set round that table were stools just as sturdy
That sat nine little bums, and the big one of mine!
Now today that great table sits proudly in Wentworth
Where, now at 100, Fritz shares every meal
And those sturdy handmade stools with soft cushioned padding
Have all butt one purpose 24 bums now feel
A young merchant guild wanted to sell their stocks
So Fritz built a navy out of wooden blocks
Trade your tea sets for dinosaurs at the “boat docks”
Or a race car for a kangaroo
With trees, bars of iron and other resources
Fritz fashioned a play set for his kith and kin
He braided the hair of 500 wild horses
Hung a swing from the treetops right down to his shin
Well, he heard her sweet voice when his daughter was wishin’
For a room for her boys and a remodeled kitchen
So he strapped on his goggles like a man on a mission
And began making her wish come true
When they said “Can you do it?” He never said cain’t
He just worked when the sun shone and worked when it raint
From the first measurements to the last coat of paint
There was nothing that Fritz couldn’t do
With a planer and a joiner and a circular saw
He could fire off ten cabinets before you could draw
Put the drywall on the cieling and the tile on the flah
With some grout and some plaster and glue...
And some nails and some staples and screws...
And some frumpus and glumpus and frockus and glockus
and stickus and wickus and goo...
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
Who for 100 years did what no man could do
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
And the craziest part is that ALL of it's true!
When I was a toddler, to stand was a shock
I'd grab Grandpa's finger and somehow not balk
And that was the way that he taught me to walk
A wondrous and welcome breakthrough!
My butterfly necklace would bind in a knot
I'd ask everybody to give it a shot
But no one succeeded 'til Grandpa I sought
Then he'd made it look just like new!
When I was a lad Grandpa helped me to fix
A go kart of mine that was once Uncle Vic’s
With a snap of his fingers silenced all skeptics
To the pile of scraps, life anew!
And let’s not forget what a genius is Fritz
IBM picked his brain for their bytes and their bits
He designed PC keyboards so everything fits
In his keen eyes you’ll see a Deep Blue
Well he started with Swedish in old Degerbäcken
Learned English at school, now bilingual I reckon
And if you listen close there’s some Deutch that he’s sprechen
With French & Italian too!
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
Who for 100 years did what no man could do
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
And the craziest part is that ALL of it's true!
Still dressed to the nines at age 88
Fritz & Eleanor matching for each fancy date
When the summer of love turned their grandkids to great
The Forsbergs were fashion gurus
There's a legend that Fritz tells when weather grows cool
Of the Toomtin who visits each season of Yule
You could try to catch him, but you'd be a fool
'Cause it's only Fritz who knows how to!
So now lads and lasses, please listen to me
For we sit in the presence of greatness you see
He’s been doing grand deeds for a full century
And Grandpa Fritz says “I’m not through!”
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
Who for 100 years did what no man could do
Well this is the Legend of Fritz Erick Forsberg
And the craziest part is that ALL of it's true!
And so now at long last without further ado
Let’s all sing it out loud! Grandpa Fritz: WE LOVE YOU!