Junior Brown And Hank Thompson performs "Gotta Sell Them Chicken"Live Video.

Henry William Thompson (September 3, 1925 – November 6, 2007) was an American country music entertainer whose career spanned seven decades.

Thompson's musical style, characterized as honky tonk Western swing, was a mixture of fiddles, electric guitar and steel guitar that featured his distinctive, smooth baritone vocals.

His backing band, The Brazos Valley Boys, was voted the top Country Western Band for 14 years in a row by Billboard. The primary difference between his music and that of Bob Wills was that Thompson, who used the swing beat and instrumentation to enhance his vocals, discouraged the intense instrumental soloing from his musicians that Wills encouraged; however, the "Hank Thompson sound" exceeded Bob Wills in Top 40 country hits.

Although not as prominent on the top country charts in later decades, Thompson remained a recording artist and concert draw well into his 80s.

WIKIPEDIA

Hank Thompson Gotta Sell Them Chicken lyrics

(Hank}

Well, my pappy told me as I was sittin' on his knee About the birds and the bees and such You can do right proud in a college crowd But you ain't gonna learn that much Get your degree in the ABC's And dig out the cold hard facts You've got to sell them chickens before they die And the eggs before they hatch

(Junior}

Now I was told at the Super Bowl When the crowd let out a roar

A big 'ole back with a ball and jack Went on in to score

The coach recalled when he spiked the ball Said forget the old cotton patch

I wanna sell them chickens before they die And the eggs before they hatch

(Hank}

The old slugger's ball head to the wall With what looked like a home run clout

But the fielder's glove went high above And caught it for the final out

On the sporting page he was all the rage When they asked him how he made that catch Well, I sold them chickens before they died And the eggs before they hatched

(Junior}

Now the boxing king climbed into the ring To fight for the title bout

But a right to the jaw was all he saw As the ref was a countin' him out

The manager said as he shook his head Son, you done lost this match

You gotta sell them chickens before they die And the eggs before they hatch

(Hank}

Now a friend I know searched high and low For the secrets to success

And he didn't stop till he got to the top Of old Mt. Everest

An old guru told him all he knew As he thumbed through his artifacts

You gotta sell them chickens before they die

And the eggs before they hatch

(Both}

Now the moral here should be clear

And it's one I'd like to share

Just be yourself like nobody else

And you might become a millionaire

Your reply when they wonder why

How'd you make all that scratch

Well you sold them chickens before they died

And the eggs before they hatched

(Both}

Yeah, want to know how you made that dough

Just tell them how to make a batch

Just sell them chickens before they die

And the eggs before they hatch