Fendrick & Peck

The Lutefisk Waltz

A sad tribe returned in the ol' Viking days

Hungry to their village burnt down

The fish on the rack had been covered in ash

And had long sat in puddles of rain

But one brave soul announced though slippery and squishy

The taste really wasn't that bad

So the Hardanger fiddles came out of their cases

And bunads out of their hiding

The boys and the girls all did somersaults

And the first steps were danced

To the Lutefisk Waltz

It was weeks before Christmas when I noticed my mother

Begin soaking and washing and soaking some fish

I began hearing rumors that it tasted of soap

That it gave off an odor that would gag a goat

But the rule at our house was you had to at least try it

So brave like a Viking I slurped down a bite

And the Hardanger fiddles came out of their cases

And bunads out of their hiding

The boys and the girls all did somersaults

And the first steps were danced

To the Lutefisk Waltz

Mere mention of this meal makes many feel sick

The state of Wisconsin even deems it toxic

But I'm happy as can be walking back to my tablee

With a plate full of lefse and gray fish that jiggles

The ol' country itself has retired the dish

But us Ole's and Lina's will always brave the Lutefisk

So let Hardanger fiddles come out of their cases

And Bunads out of their hiding

Let the boys and the girls all do somersaults

As our feet dance the steps

To the Lutefisk Waltz