Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)

Subject: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Marion
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 03:25 PM

Hi. I'm actually only looking for one word near the beginning of this song by James Gordon.

What I'm hearing is:

There was no blind on the window
Looked outside and watched the wind blow
And the snowy tracks that led up to that ten dollar "dize" door...

I can't make out what the word is that I'm hearing as "dize". Or maybe it's a name for some kind of door that I just don't know about.

Thanks, Marion

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 03:40 PM

I'll be back in 2 minutes with these!

;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 03:41 PM

oh sorry.. I didn't read yer actual post...

The line is...

"The snowy tracks that lead to that 10 doller DIVE'S door"

great song eh!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: MMario
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 03:42 PM

There was no blind on the window.
He looked outside and watched the wind blowin',
The snowy tracks that led to that ten dollar dive's door,
That same drivin' wind had swept him there again
Although he swore he'd pay no mind to its cries anymore.
He used to think he'd find
Out on the road somewhere a sign
That would tell him what this restless windblown wandering meant;
Maybe he'd find out listenin' to that cold
Saskatchewan wind whinin'
Like some lonesome cowboy's lament.

Subject: Lyr Add: LONESOME COWBOY'S LAMENT
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 03:45 PM

Here's the lyrics for other catters...

Lonesome Cowboy's Lament

There was no blind on the window
He looked outside and watched the wind blowin'
The snowy tracks that lead to that ten dollar dive's door
That same driving wind had swept him there again
Although he swore he'd pay no mind to it's cries any more
He used to think he'd find out on the road somewhere a sign
That would tell him what this restless wind-blown wandering meant
Maybe he'll find out listening to that cold
Saskatchewan wind whining
Like some lonesome cowboys' lament

Oh the whispering wheels
And the wind at his heels
Would often fool him into thinking he was getting somewhere
But if he stopped to look behind him
He usually would find
There wasn't really any difference between here and there
Somehow every year about this time he starts to spend
All his days in wondering where the hell the last one went
Maybe he'll find out listening to that cold
Saskatchewan wind whining
Like some lonesome cowboys' lament

Many times he's still reminded of those tear-filled eyes
That he left back in Ontario in '95
He knows he could never make her realise
Like the wind he must keep moving just to stay alive

He's headed west out to Lethbridge
He suspects some kind of death-wish
Keeps him always on the highway in the winter-time
But he simply can't keep still
And all across the Cypress Hills
He lets the whistle of the wind sing him a lullaby

He wonders if he'll ever know
What it is about the blowin' wind
That keeps his gypsy heart from feeling content
Maybe he'll find out listening to that cold
Saskatchewan wind whining
Like some lonesome cowboys' lament

So sweet....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Marion
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 04:07 PM

Dive's! Of course! Thanks, Clinton. Yes, it's a great song; the first time I heard it, I knew I must learn it.

I especially like the first half of the second verse.

Marion

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 04:09 PM

ya... I just brought it back into my solo show after about a year of it laying fallow... glad to have it back again...

Damn fine piece of song writing, that...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: DougR
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 04:21 PM

Hasn't "Streets of Laredo" also been referred to as "A Cowboy's Lament?"

DougR

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 05:01 PM

Donno... good question, DougR

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: DougR
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 07:03 PM

Yep, I thought I had seen "Streets of Laredo" also titled "A Cowboy's Lament." That song is contained in Burl Ives Song Book, published by Ballentine Books, Copyright, 1953. The book has a published price of sixty cents. The word "Lonesome", however, is not attached.

DougR

Subject: Chords Add: LONESOME COWBOY'S LAMENT (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 01:55 PM

Refreshed to share chords....

(C)There was no blind on the (C+B)window
He looked (Am)outside and watched the (Am+G)wind blowin'
The (F) snowy tracks that lead to that ten dollar dive's (G) door
That (C)same driving (C+B)wind had (Am)swept him there (Am+G)again
Although he (F)swore he'd pay no mind to it's (G)cries any (C)more
He(Am)used to think he'd find out on the (Em)road somewhere a sign
That would (F)tell him what this restless wind-blown wandering (G)meant
Maybe he'll (C)find out listening (C+B)to that cold
(Am)Saskatchewan wind (Am+G)whining
Like (F)some lonesome (G)cowboys' (C)lament

That's kinda really close to what I'm playing... I think Gord, when he was still with Tamarack, used to play this chord pattern, capo'd 2nd fret to put the song in D...

Hope that helps!

;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 02:28 PM

Burl Ives Songbook is hard to get. No longer in print, a battered copy offered for $15 and a used hb for $54, no others at Amazon, Abebooks or Alibris. An entirely different song is called "The Cowboy's Lament" in "Singing Cowboy, a Book of Western Songs", Margaret Larken, Oak Pub. (in print). It starts out "My home's in Montana, I wear a bandana..." Glenn Ohrlin, in the "Hell-Bound Train," says "The tune of "My Home in Montana" is the same as the usual old tune of "The Cowboy's Lament" before they started calling the "Lament" "The Streets of Laredo." He goes on to say that Ginn & Co. took the words from Larkin's version and revised them to make a song for kids. There are probably other verses that have been called the "Cowboy's Lament." I am glad to get the verses by Gordon(?).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: DougR
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 02:58 PM

Wow! I'm sure going to hang on to my copy! That's interesting backgroud, Dicho, thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Marion
Date: 20 Jul 01 - 12:00 AM

Thank you very much Clinton. Yes, that G added to the Am chord does make a difference.

What do you use for chords in the bridge?

(Many times he's still reminded of those tear-filled eyes
That he left back in Ontario in '95
He knows he could never make her realise
Like the wind he must keep moving just to stay alive)

Thanks, Marion

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 20 Jul 01 - 01:55 PM

Bridge... oh ya... ummm... lemme see here...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 21 Jul 01 - 02:05 PM

It's really just more of the same chords in a slightly different order...

:-)

Many (Am)times he's still reminded of those (Em)tear-filled eyes
That he (F)left back in (?)Ontario in (G)'95 Like the (F)wind he must keep (?)moving just to (F)stay (G)alive

Get the idea behind some of the runs now? There's only really 2 in the whole song...

The chord marked (?), I have no idea what it is, but I play it as a F Bar chord without the index finger barring, so really it's just a E chord slid up one fret... kinda nice and dissonent... the finger-picking pattern changes there, but I'm not even gopnna try to explain that! LOL!!

Good luck eh!

;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 21 Jul 01 - 07:02 PM

Many (Am)times he's still reminded of those (Em)tear-filled eyes
That he (F)left back in (?)Ontario in (G)'95
He (F)knows he could never make her (C)re (C+B)a (Am)lise
Like the (F)wind he must keep (?)moving just to (F)stay (G)alive

That's better... sorry about that...

;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 10 Sep 01 - 01:05 PM

Marion?

Did ya get the bridge chords?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Marion
Date: 27 Sep 01 - 07:23 PM

Hi Clinton, and sorry for the delay in responding. I did see your posting of the bridge chords, although I've ended up playing them differently:

Bm - F#m -
G - - A
G - F#m Bm
G - - A

I've also changed it all to the key of A (although I've written these bridge chords in the key of D so it would be continous with the rest of the thread).

Take care, Marion

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Sep 01 - 07:51 PM

Hi, Clinton - who's the songwriter (&publication date), or is it traditional? Any other background information?
I fouund it listed on a CD called James Gordon : Mining For Gold: Twenty Years Of Songwriting, so I'm assuming James Gordon wrote it. Is/was Gordon a member of Tamarack?

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Sep 01 - 07:56 PM

Anyone know of a midi I could learn this one from? I don't do geetar chords.:-)

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Marion
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 01:38 AM

Whoops, Clinton's chords are in C, not D. So my version of the bridge would be:

Am - Em -
F - - G
F - Em Am
F - - G

Joe, I'll try to get the Tamarack CD out of the library again this week and tell you what I can about the song's specs and James Gordon's connection to Tamarack.

Katlaughing, if all else fails, call me up and I'll sing it to you.

I find this song striking in the way that the lyrics scan into the music. It has a complex sound in that sentences and phrases stretch over several lines and there is very little in the way of pauses for the singer, or squeezing or stretching words to fit them onto the notes. It's like the words and music are a perfect fit, not a syllable extra or missing, and it isn't even clearly broken into "lines", but rather a steady flow... ah, you'll see what I mean when you hear it.

Marion

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 01:52 AM

Hi, Marion - I found the song on Tamarack's 1991 CD, Fields of Rock and Snow. It was indeed written by James Gordon, a member of Tamarack (great CD, by the way). I e-mailed a recording of the cut to Kat. Thanks for the "offer," though.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 11:49 AM

Yup..

*singing

"and all that you will ever grow, is fields of rock and snow... "

marion? Aren't those the exact same chords as I posted for the bridge?

;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Amos
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 11:53 AM

Yeah, but "My home's in Montana, I wear a bandana, ... etc." is a different tune altogether than "As I walked out in the streets of Laredo". I know this because I used to sing both of these songs in fourth grade music class! :>)

A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Marion
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 12:26 PM

Not exactly the same, Clinton - I've tamed the chord you call (?) and made a bigger change in the third line.

Marion

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 12:26 PM

What's yer point Amos? I don't get it...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 12:28 PM

tamed? Huh??

:-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Marion
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 12:47 AM

Tamed, as in changed from a demented chord to a good honest major chord.

Insofar as F can be called a good honest major chord, of course.

Marion

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Cowboy's Lament (Tamarack)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 02:10 AM

Never be daunted by a chord...

:-)