From the recording Wall Dogs
Banner Gals
From 1942 to 45, The Gibson Musical Instrument Company faced a labor shortage when many of the men building guitars in the factory were drafted or volunteered for service in World War II. The gap was filled by female laborers who helped build the famous “Banner” Gibson guitars—those made during these years adorned with the peghead flag that read simply “Only a Gibson is Good Enough.” John Thomas’s book Kalamazoo Gals (2013) first revealed the extraordinary story behind this song. I played my all-mahogany 1945 Gibson Banner J-45 on it.
Lyrics
Banner Gals
(Copyright © 2024, Tim Stafford, Thomm Jutz, Daniel House Music, BMI; Thommsongs SESAC admin. Blue Water)
V1) From ’41 to ’45
Had To keep their families alive
most of the men had gone off to war
So they took their spots on the factory floor
V2) Working hard and learning fast
to build a guitar that would last
for songs that lifted the country’s morale
Each one built by a Banner Gal
CH) Some were ragged, some were rough
Only a Gibson is Good Enough
Some still ring, just like a bell
Each one built by a Banner Gal
V3) maple, mahogany, Rosewood and spruce
Some too tight, some too loose
Forced to use whatever they had
For the country was poor and the shortages bad
V4) 9000 made, that’s not too many
Today they cost you a pretty penny
Sometimes the old is better than new
Hooray for the Gals from Kalamazoo
CH) Some were ragged, some were rough
Only a Gibson is Good Enough
Some still ring, just like a bell
Each one built by a Banner Gal
V5) Rose the Riveter and all of her kin
All played a part, all helped to win
Some built planes, and some poured lead
The Gals from Kalamazoo built the Banner heads
CH) Some were ragged, some were rough
Only a Gibson is Good Enough
Some still ring, just like a bell
Each one built by a Banner Gal