Origins: Someday Soon (Ian Tyson) lyrics meaning

Subject: Lyr Add: SOMEDAY SOON (from Tanya Tucker)
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 08 Jun 17 - 07:23 PM

In the South, an "old blue northern" is nothing more than a cold front. My favorite version of this song is the Tanya Tucker recording, in which the words are:

There is a young man that I know, he just turned twenty-one
He comes from down in southern Colorado,
Just out of the service and he's looking for his fun
Someday soon, I'm going with him someday soon.

My parents cannot stand him, 'cause he rides the rodeo,
My mama says that he will leave me crying,
But I would follow him right down the roughest road I know,
And someday soon, I'm going with him someday soon.

When he comes to call
My pa ain't got a good word to say.
I guess it's cause he was just as wild
In his younger days-

Blow you old blue northern, blow my love to me,
He's driving in tonight from California-
Well, he loves his darned old rodeo as much as he loves me,
But someday soon, I'm going with him someday soon!

The last two verses are repeated before the song ends.

Subject: ADD Version: Someday Soon Ian and Sylvia
From: gillymor
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 04:09 AM

I placed this one in a masculine context (sorry Ian) using some of the Kingston Trio lyrics combined with the Judy Collins lyric scheme:

I'm a young man so you'll know, just turned twenty-one,
I come from down in southern Colorado,
Just out of the service and looking for my fun.
Someday Soon she's going with me, Someday Soon.

Her parents cannot stand me 'cause I ride the rodeo.
Her daddy says that I will leave her crying.
But that gal would follow me right down the toughest road I know.
Someday Soon she's going with me, Someday Soon.

When I come to call her pa ain't got a good word to say.
I suppose he's just as wild in his younger days.

So blow you old blue northern, blow me back to her.
I'm driving in tonight from California,
I love that damned old rodeo and I know that she loves me,
Someday Soon going with me, Someday Soon.
Someday Soon going with me, Someday Soon.

The words in the last verse of this version seem a little clunky to me, especially the 3d line. If anyone's got any other ideas...

The Judy Collins version of this on her Who Knows Where the Time Goes LP is one of my all time favorite recordings with sparkling contributions from James Burton, Buddy Emmons and Van Dyke Parks. Suzy Boguss does a fine version as well which sounds pretty close to the J.C. arrangement.

Subject: ADD Version: Someday Soon (Ian Tyson)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 02:07 AM

The version in the Digital Tradition is more-or-less the Judy Collins version that everybody knows. But since the song was written by Ian Tyson, I've built on Genie's transcription and added my hearing of the Ian & Sylvia recording:

SOMEDAY SOON
(words & music by Ian Tyson

There's a young man that I know, just turned twenty-one,
Comes from down in southern Colorado,
Just out of the service and looking for his fun.
Someday Soon going with him, Someday Soon.

My parents cannot stand him 'cause he works the rodeo.
They say, "He's not your kind, he'll leave you crying."
If he asks I'll follow him down the toughest row to hoe.
Someday Soon going with him, Someday Soon.

When he visits me, my pa ain't got one good word to say.
Got a hunch he was as wild back in the early days.

So blow you old blue norther, blow him back to me.
He's likely driving back from California,
He loves his damned old rodeos as much as he loves me,
Someday Soon going with him, Someday Soon.
Someday Soon going with him, Someday Soon.

Here's the Ian Tyson recording, which is closer to the Judy Collins recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NuIKF2D7cw

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: SOMEDAY SOON (Ian Tyson)
From: Genie
Date: 14 Feb 12 - 04:41 PM

Yes, GUEST. Those are basically the lyrics as originally written by Ian Tyson & recorded by Ian and Sylvia. (In different recordings, they made slight modifications in places, but Judy Collins made some substantial changes in her cover of the song.) The tune is slightly different in places on their recordings from the tune as sung by Judy Collins.


SOMEDAY SOON
(words & music by Ian Tyson -
as recorded by Ian and Sylvia)


Th[G]ere's a young man th[Em]at I know, ju[C]st turned twenty-o[G]ne,

C[Bm]omes from down in s[Bm]outhern Color[C]ad[D]o,

Just out of the s[Em]ervice and l[C]ooking for his f[G]un.
      
Someday S[Am7]oon going w[D]ith him, Someday So[G]on.



My p[G]arents cannot st[Em]and him 'cause he w[C]orks the rode[G]o.

They s[Bm]ay, "He's not your k[Bm]ind, he'll leave you cr[C]yin[D]g."

I[G]f he asks I'll f[Em]ollow him down the t[C]oughest row to h[G]oe.
         
Someday So[Am7]on going w[D]ith him, Someday So[G]on.



Wh[D7]en he visits me,[D] my pa ain't got o[C]ne good word to s[G]ay.

G[Em]ot a hunch he w[Em]as as wild back in the early da[D]ys.



So bl[G]ow you old blue n[Em]orthern, b[C]low him back to m[G]e.

He's l[Bm]ikely driving b[Bm]ack from Calif[C]orni[D]a,

Lo[G]ves his damned old r[Em]odeos as m[C]uch as he loves m[G]e,
      
Someday So[Am7]on going w[D]ith him, Someday So[G]on.


Or, without the chords but with line breaks:

There's a young man that I know, just turned twenty-one,
Comes from down in southern Colorado,
Just out of the service and looking for his fun.
Someday Soon going with him, Someday Soon.


My parents cannot stand him 'cause he works the rodeo.
They say, "He's not your kind, he'll leave you crying."
If he asks I'll follow him right the toughest row to hoe.
Someday Soon going with him, Someday Soon.

When he visits me, my pa ain't got one good word to say.
Got a hunch he was as wild back in the early days.

So blow you old blue northern, blow him back to me.
He's likely driving back from California,
Loves his damned old rodeos as much as he loves me,
Someday Soon going with him, Someday Soon.
Someday Soon going with him, Someday Soon.

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: GUEST,Jaybegood
Date: 04 Oct 10 - 04:13 PM

"If you don't like I&S's rendition, listen to Judy Collins'."
Just make sure it's from an early recording/or concert.

I saw her on TV not long ago and she had turned it into a "pop" song a la 1950's style with snapping fingers and messed up phrasing.

Took all the life out of it.

Lesson: Leave a good song the heck alone!

Personal note: When I moved to Louisiana in 1971 where I met my eventual wife, I had just turned 24, left the army after my ETS at Fort Carson Colorado in 1969.

I was a "budding" folksinger (Had a group in College and then two while in the army) mostly was doing singles where I could find an audience.

Except for the Rodeo Part (I was a salesman for Radio Shack) it was my story.

Her father, 37 years later, still doesn't like me!

Subject: Lyr Add: SOMEDAY SOON (Ian Tyson)
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 01:51 PM

I think this is the lyric I&S sang:

There's a young man that I know, just turned twenty-one,
He comes from down in southern Colorado.
Just out of the service and lookin' for his fun;
Someday soon, goin' with him, someday soon.

My parents can not stand him 'cause he works the rodeo;
They say, "He's not your kind; he'll leave you cryin'."
But if he asks I'll follow him down the toughest row to hoe;
Someday soon, goin' with him someday soon.

When he visits me, my Pa ain't got one good word to say;
Got a hunch he was as wild back in the early days.

So blow, you old Blue Norther, blow him back to me;
He's likely drivin' back from California.
He loves his damned old rodeo as much as he loves me;
Someday soon, goin' with him, someday soon

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: SouthernCelt
Date: 22 Jun 07 - 07:59 PM

"If you don't like I&S's rendition, listen to Judy Collins'."
As far as I'm concerned I&S never did a bad song! And neither did Ian post-Sylvia although I'm not that fond of the recording mix on "One Jump Ahead of the Devil". Didn't really keep up with Sylvia after her first solo album since she tended away from the I&S and Ian solo styles.

SC

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: PoppaGator
Date: 22 Jun 07 - 04:31 PM

Janice used-to-be-in-NJ-now-in-NY:

I had no idea that Annette O'Toole (redheaded actress perhaps best known for playing Lana Lang in one or more Superman movies) was into songwriting, let along that she had partnered with the great Michael McKean.

So, thanks for the info.

However, I beg to differ that anything by Mitch and Mickey (the fake, ironic Ian and Sylvia) could conceivably be "better" than this great number by the real Ian and Sylvia, probably the very best of all their songs.

"Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" is quite an achievement insofar as it is both extremely pretty and deliciously silly, but "Someday Soon" is seriously good. If you don't like I&S's rendition, listen to Judy Collins'.

;^)

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: SouthernCelt
Date: 22 Jun 07 - 01:15 PM

Seeing all the comments about "blue northers" reminds me why I like living in Mississippi and can just use the imagery in such songs to suppose what it's like to be up north. Now if we could just do something about those occasional baddies from the Gulf of Mexico, we'd be perfect.

SC

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 22 Jun 07 - 11:29 AM

I have heard the term "Blue Norther'" since childhood, used to describe winter blizzards on the northern great plains, for the most part. It may have been one of Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds" in fact. Another weather-driven line is from Tom Paxton's "Panhandle Wind," a reference to the biting, wind-driven snow storms in the Oklahoma and Texas panhandle country.

"It's a low wind, and a moaner,

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: GUEST,Janice now in Western NY State
Date: 22 Jun 07 - 09:18 AM

Personally I prefer A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow, written by Michael McKean and Annette O'Toole, but performed by Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara, also known as Mitch & Mickey.

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: GUEST,Henryp
Date: 22 Jun 07 - 09:00 AM

Ian Tyson met Sylvia Fricker in 1959. Sylvia came from Chatham, Ontario, and her father was not impressed by Ian. He was older than Sylvia and Mr Fricker looked on him as a fake cowboy from the rodeo.

They married in 1964 and later that year released Northern Journey containing Someday Soon, a great, great song based on their relationship.

'And when he comes to call, my Pa ain't got a good word to say'

'My parents cannot stand him cause he rides the rodeo
My father says that he will leave me crying.'

They divorced in 1974, so perhaps Mr Fricker was proved right.

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: oldhippie
Date: 22 Jun 07 - 07:11 AM

I knew fellow Mudcatters would have the answer; this site is great.

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: GUEST,Texas Guest
Date: 22 Jun 07 - 12:57 AM

Must concur with Mr. Tyson here. One of the first phrases I learned from Texas when I first moved down here in the middle of winter back in '77 - blue norther. Just as Ian said - a cold, cold wind; might come with sleet or snow, but likely as not - just plain bad-assed cold.

See, I'd never heard of a blue norther growing up in Michigan because it was usually cold as hell most of the time; and yes, I do miss a lot of things about Michigan (fortunately I do get up there on a semi-regular basis)including the cold weather, and the lakes, and the family and the RED WINGS! GO RED WINGS! Cheers.

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: oldhippie
Date: 21 Jun 07 - 06:08 PM

Thanks!

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: open mike
Date: 21 Jun 07 - 04:16 PM

ask Ian Tyson..
but here is an answer to that same question on another web page/

..."A cold wind from the north.....
I found these cowboy lyrics elsewhere:

You'll ride a black tornado, 'cross the western sky.
Rope an ole blue northern, and milk it til it's dry.
Bull dawg the Mississippi, and pin her ears down flat...
Long before you take this cowboys hat...


and another mention....
A cold wind that blows down towards the U.S border
along the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains.

Subject: RE: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: Sorcha
Date: 21 Jun 07 - 03:33 PM

Blue Norther---horrible winter snow storm. Snow, wind, white out conditions, 'blue' because it's COLD.

Subject: 'Someday Soon' lyrics meaning
From: oldhippie
Date: 21 Jun 07 - 03:11 PM

In "Someday Soon" there is the phrase "Blow you old blue northern...". What does this refer to, a wind, a train whistle, or something else?