The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #110176   Message #2389307
Posted By: Joe Offer
15-Jul-08 - 02:13 AM
Thread Name: Origins/Add Verses: Cool Water (Bob Nolan)
Subject: ADD Version: Cool Water (Bob Nolan)
OK, so here's the whole thing, with everything consolidated. One Sons of the Pioneers recording leaves out the last (feet are sore) verse.

COOL WATER
(Bob Nolan, 1936)

All day I've faced a barren waste
Without the taste of water,
Cool water.
Old Dan and I with throats burnt dry
And souls that cry for water,
Cool, clear water.

CHORUS
Keep a-moving' Dan, don't you listen to him, Dan,
He's a devil, not a man, and he spreads the burning sand
With water.
Dan, can you see that big green tree
Where the water's running free and it's waiting there for me
And you.

The nights are cool and I'm a fool,
Each star's a pool of water,
Cool water.
But with the dawn I'll wake and yawn
And carry on to water,
Cool, clear water.

CHORUS

The shadows sway and seem to say,
Tonight we pray for water,
Cool water.
And way up there he'll hear our prayer
And show us where there's water,
Cool, clear water.

CHORUS

Dan's feet are sore, he's yearning for
Just one thing more than water,
Cool water.
Like me I guess he'd like to rest
Where there's no quest
For water,
Cool, clear water.

(no chorus at the end)


Transcribed from two recordings by the Sons of the Pioneers. Since Songwriter Bob Nolan was a member of the Sons of the Pioneers, I think I'm going to claim this as the definitive transcription - although I acknowledge that other artists had variations.

One version has "Tonight we'll pray for water." The other doesn't have the final "Dan's feet are sore" verse.