"Dumas Walker" is a 1990 single released by country rock

Country rock

Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...

 band the Kentucky Headhunters from its 1989 album Pickin' on Nashville

Pickin' on Nashville

-Personnel:*Greg Martin - electric guitar, slide guitar*Doug Phelps - background vocals, bass guitar*Ricky Lee Phelps - lead vocals*Richard Ripani - organ on "Rock & Roll Angel" and "Oh Lonesome Me"*Fred Young - drums, percussion*Richard Young - rhythm guitar...

. It reached number 15 on Country charts, and was written by the band's five members at the time.

Content

The song begins with the command for his entourage to "all go to Dumas Walker's" in order to purchase "slaw burger

Hamburger

A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...

, fries

French fries

French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...

 and a bottle of Ski

Ski (soda)

Ski is a citrus soda made from real orange and lemon juices, manufactured by the Double Cola Company.-History:Combining the powerful tastes of oranges and lemons, Double Cola Company’s citrus drink, Ski, was formulated in 1956. The soda contains natural flavorings to create a soft drink with a...

", and then for the items to be brought to his "baby" and himself. Following the command, the singer describes a situation when he and his partner were on the way to the "drive-in on a Saturday night with a six pack

Six pack

A six pack is a type of multi-pack made of six canned or bottled drinks, typically a soft drink or beer, which are sold as a single unit. Cans are usually connected with plastic six pack rings, HDPE Can Carriers, shrink film, or paperboard....

 of lite

Miller Lite

Miller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager brand sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life.-History:...

." He explains that he would proceed to go to Dumas Walker's "after the show" where Dumas and others would be shooting marbles behind the store. The call of "let's all go, down to Dumas Walker" then continues as the chorus is sung. Next, the singer describes Dumas Walker as having a "photogenic mind" and closely adhering to the law. He is alluded to as the "marble king". Following this, the chorus is sung for the final time, and the song concludes.

Background

According to The Kentucky Headhunters' band member Doug Phelps, the song refers to a retail

Retail

Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...

er and world class marbles

Marbles

A marble is a small spherical toy usually made from glass, clay, steel, or agate. These balls vary in size. Most commonly, they are about ½ inch in diameter, but they may range from less than ¼ inch to over 3 inches , while some art glass marbles fordisplay purposes are over 12 inches ...

 champion named "Dumas" from Moss, Tennessee who owned a "package" shop near the Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

-Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

 state line, close to Annie Hanrahan's place. The shop sold "beer

Beer

Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...

, snacks [and] fireworks

Fireworks

Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...

" and was "part of the Kentucky boys' lives growing up." The lyrics that reflect a desire to purchase "slaw burger, fries, and a bottle of Ski" are completely unrelated to the real-life "Dumas Walker", referring to a restaurant in Greensburg, Kentucky

Greensburg, Kentucky

Greensburg is a city in Green County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,396 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Green County...

called Adolphus Ennis, where the band would go following a show.

At first, the Record label did not want to include the song on the Kentucky Headhunters' album because they believed it was too regional. However, the Headhunters pushed for the song to be on the album because of the reaction it received during live shows.

Chart performance

Chart (1990)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	15
Canadian RPM Country Tracks Chart	54