About The Song
“The Auctioneer” was written by Leroy Van Dyke and Buddy Black and released as Van Dyke’s debut single on Dot Records in 1956. Inspired by his own brief experiences calling auctions and especially by the career of his second cousin, Ray Sims, a highly regarded cattle auctioneer, the song captured the rapid-fire rhythm of the auction chant in a way few country records had attempted. Van Dyke wrote the piece while serving in the Korean War and first performed it for fellow troops, sharing a bill that also featured Marilyn Monroe.
After returning home, Van Dyke entered the song in a Chicago talent contest that led to his recording contract. The single reached number nine on the Billboard country chart and crossed over to number nineteen on the pop chart. Strong sales, reported in the range of two and a half million copies, made it one of the more successful country-novelty records of the mid-1950s and established Van Dyke as a recognizable name.
The lyric follows a young Arkansas boy who skips school to hang around the local auction barn. Mesmerized by the chant, he practices constantly behind the family barn. His parents initially disapprove but eventually send him to auction school so the family name will not be embarrassed by poor technique. He returns as a skilled professional, builds a national reputation, and eventually buys an airplane simply to keep up with the demand for his services.
What set the record apart was the inclusion of extended passages of actual auction-style chanting. Van Dyke delivered these sections with the speed and cadence of a working auctioneer, giving the song an energy that stood out on both country and pop radio. The arrangement remained relatively simple, allowing the vocal performance and the novelty of the chant to carry the track.
Van Dyke later noted that the only major liberty he took was changing the boy’s home state from Missouri to Arkansas because nothing convenient rhymed with Missouri. The song opened doors for him on the Ozark Jubilee and later the Grand Ole Opry. Five years afterward he would score an even larger hit with “Walk On By,” but “The Auctioneer” remained the recording that first introduced him to a national audience.
Within the country music of the 1950s, “The Auctioneer” stands as a distinctive example of how a specialized skill and a strong narrative could produce a lasting hit. Its combination of storytelling, novelty appeal, and commercial success has kept it among the best-known records of Van Dyke’s long career.
Video
Lyric
Hey, well, alright, sir
Here we go there an’ what are ya gonna give for ’em?
Now 25 an’ now 35, an’ now there 50, now 60, will ya give me 60, now 75
There was a boy in Arkansas who wouldn’t listen to his ma
When she told him he should go to school
He’d sneak away in the afternoon, take a little walk then pretty soon
You’d find him at the local auction barn
He’d stand and listen carefully, then pretty soon he began to see
How the auctioneer could talk so rapidly
He said, “Oh my, it’s do or die, I’ve got to learn that auction cry
Gotta make my mark and be an auctioneer”
25 dollar bid it now, 30 dollar 30
Will ya gimme 30 make it a 30 bid it on a 30 dollar
Will ya gimme 30, who’ll bid a 30 dollar bid?
30 dollar bid it now 35
Will ya gimme 35 to make it a 35 to bid it at 35
Who would a-bid it at a 35 dollar bid?
45 dollar bid it now, 50 dollar 50
Will ya gimme 50 make it a 50 bid it on a 50 dollar
Will ya gimme 50, who’ll bid a 50 dollar bid?
50 dollar bid it now 55
Will ya gimme 55 to make it a 55 to bid it at 55
Sold that hog for a 50 dollar bill
Hey, alright, sir open the gate, let em’ out and walk ’em boys
Here a comes a lot number 29 in, what’re ya gonna give for ’em?
I got a 25 I get a 35 an’ now a 50 make it 50 better t’ make it 55, 60
Will ya give me 65, 75, an’ now 85, an’ now 95, 100, an’ now a 25
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