Lyr Req: Wild Birds (Jan Harmon)

Subject: Wyoming folk song
From:
Date: 07 Aug 98 - 08:07 AM

I am looking for a song that I only know a few of the lines and since I can't find it I am wondering if maybe I don't even have those right. I want to find out the artist or maybe even the title. It goes like this: "Lights flicker on in a town 'neath the mountain, As night first comes down like a patch of black satin. And the road seems too long between Casper and Jackson, When you're tired and you're travelling alone."

Any help would be greatly appreciated........ Thanks

Subject: RE: Wyoming folk song
From: rich r
Date: 09 Aug 98 - 11:35 PM

The song you are looking for is "Wild Birds" by Jan Harmon. It was recorded by Bok, Muir & Trickett on the CD "And So Will We Yet" (1990 Folk-Legacy CD-116). Folk-Legacy Records in Sharon CT, maintains a web site. The CD does not contain the printed lyrics, however it says that a booklet containing notes on the songs and complete lyrics can be obtained from Folk-Legacy for $2. Specify "Booklet #116"

rich r

Subject: Lyr Add: WILD BIRDS (Jan Harmon)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Aug 98 - 03:23 AM

I knew that phrase sounded familiar. Thanks for the lead, Rich.

WILD BIRDS
by Jan Harmon, BMI
©1986, Yksnidoroks Press, Camden, Maine, BMI

Lights flicker on in a town 'neath the mountain
Where night first comes down like a patch of black satin
And the road seems too long between Casper and Jackson
When you're tired of traveling alone.

Blackthorn and cottonwood drink up the Muddy;*
Just buckwheat and sky between Cheyenne and Cody
Like a maplewing sown under red leaves blown down
It's time to be going back home.

You cross the Wind River on your way to Big Timber;
The people are friendly, the aspen is amber.
Folks sing all the choruses they can remember,
And you sleep in a room of your own.

Blackthorn and cottonwood...

And all by the roadside the wild birds fly
Up out of the thistle and into the sky;
Red birds, black birds, they sing as they fly.
…Thank Heaven for wild birds.

They're all dressed up in feathers with colors outrageous;
They soar from this earthly-bound kingdom of cages
On delicate wings, so small and courageous.
It's time to be going back home.

Blackthorn and cottonwood...

You can see the rain coming for miles down the prairie
Like a great herd of antelope, running like fury,
And you stop at a diner outside Canyon Ferry
For coffee and a taste of the town.

Blackthorn and cottonwood...

And all by the roadside the wild birds fly
Up out of the thistle and into the sky;
Red birds, black birds, they sing as they fly.
…Thank Heaven for wild birds.

(* "The Muddy" - the Big Muddy River)
Recorded on "And So Will We Yet" by Bok, Muir, and Trickett

I think that Folk Legacy sends lyrics booklets for free with CD's ordered direct from Folk Legacy. You can call them at [phone].
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Wyoming folk song
From: Alice
Date: 10 Aug 98 - 10:56 AM

Just a note on the places.... Casper, Jackson, Cheyenne, Cody, and the Wind River are in Wyoming, and Big Timber is in Montana between Billings and Bozeman (where I live). Canyon Ferry is a large reservoir on the Missouri river between Townsend and Helena, Montana (where I grew up). The 'flats' along Canyon Ferry Lake near Townsend are popular with the antelope (pronghorns) and you can often see herds of them when you drive that stretch of highway. There are also lots of birds in the marshy areas along the road, including cranes, ducks, and redwing blackbirds.

Neat song.

Alice in Montana

Subject: RE: Wyoming folk song
From: Barry Finn
Date: 10 Aug 98 - 02:08 PM

Very nice country out there Alice. As a kid I recall riding horses for a week in Brice (Sp?) Canyon. I believe it was the same week Casper (or was it Jackson) burnt down, July of 59(?). Barry

Subject: RE: Wyoming folk song
From: Susan of Calif
Date: 10 Aug 98 - 02:33 PM

Alice- I just got back from Yellowstone and the surrounding areas. Absolutely beautiful area. People in the park are rather thoughtless, however. They don't seem to realize that the area and animals are wild, not a Disneyland-style facsimile. Everytime we went across the continental divide, our 10-year-old belted out "...where the rivers change direction, across the great divide..." much to the chagrin of our 16-year-old.

Subject: RE: Wyoming folk song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Aug 98 - 03:11 PM

Susan, why is it that sometime between the age of 10 and 16, children lose their appreciation for folk music? Same thing happened with all three of my kids. Now they're 20+, and what they like best is punk (they will sing a little folk to keep their old dad happy, though...).
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Wyoming folk song
From: Alice
Date: 10 Aug 98 - 03:42 PM

I have friends who work in Yellowstone, and each week I get an update of the latest tourist mishap. It is amazing that more people are not hurt, considering the crazy stunts that tourists do. Susan, too bad you didn't come up to Bozeman for the Sunday night session in the Baxter Hotel lobby.

There was a large forest fire at the base of the Tetons near Jackson Hole in about '59. That was also the year of the huge earthquake in Yellowstone that moved a mountain and created Quake Lake.

It is beautiful mostly unpopulated country, and yes, I love living here. If you go to my son's webpage, there is a picture of us in Yellowstone, and a link where you can click to hear a wolf howl. http://www.mcn.net/~acflynn/Ryan.html

Alice in Montana

Subject: RE: Wyoming folk song
From: Barry Finn
Date: 10 Aug 98 - 04:23 PM

Alice, I'm starting to worry about being close to disasters. I was out of work in 82 (?) in SanFrancisco, wham the worst mud slides in years, I found employment, again out of work in Maui in 80(?) wham again, largest Kona storm in 50 years, again became gainfully employed, out of work in Boston, winter of 78, wham, out came the winter work boots. I'm woundering if I shouldn't change my name to Jonah. Barry for now.

Subject: RE: Wyoming folk song
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Jul 01 - 01:50 AM

refresh,

neat song!

Subject: RE: Wyoming folk song
From: Art Thieme
Date: 23 Jul 01 - 11:35 PM

Yes---!

Subject: RE: Wyoming folk song
From:
Date: 08 Oct 04 - 11:50 PM

The sheet music for this song can now be found at http://www.harmonpublishing.com/jan/songs/music/wild_birds-27oct03.pdf

Subject: RE: Wyoming folk song
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Oct 04 - 02:22 AM

Thanks, Guest, edg!