MY 30-06 ON THE WALL
by Pat O'Cotter
from the singing of Paul Roseland of Alaska
Paul says of Cotter, "He lived the stuff he wrote. Became a Marshal later on. Was killed in Fairbanks in 1932."

Oh, I been a guide and was a-kickin' around,
And was usually seen with the belles,
I mixed up with partners at various times,
Had lots of affairs with the gals.

Way back in the 90s when I was a kid,
I went with a halfbreed you know,
One winter in Circle she cleaned me all out,
And she left me cold in the snow,

Now I've had lots of dogs but the dogs always died,
Or else the poor devils get killed,
When ya like 'em, ya lose 'em,I lost me some _____(?)
It seems____ __ ___can be filled(?).

Now partners and females amd dogs are taboo,
I know 'cause I've fussed with them all,
But there's only one pal I've found I can trust,
It's my 30-06 on the wall.

She stood by my shoulder, she stalked the brown bear,
She keeps the cache full in the fall,
She's got one fault that the claim jumper knows,
And she craves no attention at all.

I'm a-gettin' old now and set in my way,
But I don't loosen up like I did,
I'm slow to make friends and I'm slower to trust,
Than I used to when I was a kid.

So partners a females and dogs are taboo,
I know 'cause I fussed with them all,
But there's only one pal I find I can trust,
It's my 30-06 on the wall.

Peter, This is from a tape of some of Paul Roseland's songs made by a mutual friend of Paul's and mine, Dave Gardels, when Dave was last in Alaska. Paul is known as the 'Singing Sourdough'---has hundreds and hundreds of songs--all REAL FOLK---not the modern navel-gazing urban crap! He really must be gettin' up there's in years now I figure. Paul and I used to exchange tapes of songs once in while--but not in the last 10 years I figure. I do hope he is well, but I don't know. If anybody up in Alaska knows Paul Roseland and his music---please give him salutations from me---Art Thieme