Lyr Add: Juan Guadalupe + songs of Mike Beck

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Juan Guadalupe + songs of Mike Beck
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Feb 16 - 08:31 AM

I believe Oahe would be Owyhee, a river in the Oregon portion of the Great Basin.

Subject: Lyr Add: JUAN GUADALUPE (Mike Beck)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Dec 14 - 12:47 PM

I transcribed this from Spotify:


JUAN GUADALUPE
As sung by Mike Beck (and another singer unknown to me) on Mike Beck's album "Cowboys & Angels"

1. How he ended up here from Yacateca,* God only knows,
With an old straw hat, a denim coat, and one pair of clothes.
It's a long, long way to Elko from the place he knows.
He's Juan Guadalupe, from Old Mexico.

2. His heritage is of the proud vaquero,
And the riata in his hands you know he can throw,
And the ways of cattle and horses he does know.
He's Juan Guadalupe, from Old Mexico.

BRIDGE: But he hasn't got a dime to show,
'Cause his paycheck goes
To feed his family down in Mexico,
And his wife of fifteen years
Sees him at Christmas, every other year.
When his kids line up to say goodbye,
They all try not hard to cry
For Juan Guadalupe, from Old Mexico.

3. While camped on the Oahe River* out at Summer Flats*
The Oregon Kid, he bucked me off and I lost my hat,
And he just sorta grinned, said "Muy bronco" as he led him back.
He's Juan Guadalupe, from old Mexico.

4. He had a dog named Pinto that he packed around.
With the two of them, you could gather steers and sure cover some ground.
At night in the camp, Pinto was fed and watered 'fore Juan bedded down.
He's Juan Guadalupe from old Mexico.

[REPEAT BRIDGE]

He's Juan Guadalupe.
He's one proud vaquero.


[* Normally I like to check the spelling of place-names, but I am unable to find Yacateca, Oahe River, or Summer Flats. I suppose Summer Flats could be a local name for any place where a herd grazes in summer. There is an Oahe Dam on the Missouri River in South Dakota, and Lake Oahe, a reservoir, behind it, but it is a long way from Elko, Nevada. Zacatecas is a city and state in Mexico, but it doesn't sound like they're singing that.]

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Juan Guadalupe + songs of Mike Beck
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Dec 14 - 11:21 AM

It's on Mike's "Cowboys and Angels" CD. It is available on iTunes. Great music!

Subject: RE: ADD: Juan Guadulape/ Songs of Mike Beck
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Aug 12 - 01:54 AM

Refresh - take a listen to this guy's stuff.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oildale (Mike Beck)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 02:48 AM

Coupla more recordings by Mike Beck:

Dylan's I Want You

John Steinbeck Drank in Here

Old Man

Website: http://www.mikebeck.com/

Subject: Lyr Add: OILDALE (Mike Beck)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 02:31 AM

I came across an album titled Rooted by Mike Beck last night, and I really liked it. He sings a lot of songs about the dirty, dusty agricultural area of Central California and Nevada, where I worked for thirty years (although I understand he now lives in Montana). I got a special kick out of "Oildale," a dumpy town across the Kern River from Bakersfield. Oildale is the home of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard - a perfect site for sad country songs. Here's "Oildale":

OILDALE
(Mike Beck)


At the edge of the California cotton fields, at the bottom of the Grapevine hills,
There's a town where country music was made, there's a few who remember still,
Where the California Okie landed in his dust-bowl flight,
Where he labored in the fields by day, and he honky-tonked at night.

She still sits at the barstool, She's still carrying the flame;
She loved all the great ones and some that never made a name.
In her eyes you see she's dreamin, back when she was quite a sight,
Twirlin round the dance floor down at the Highlight every night.

CHORUS
And there ain't no yuppies in Oildale, it's damn near yuppie free,
And you won't find no soccer Moms ridin' round in SUVs
They tore down the blackboard, and there ain't much left to see…
But there ain't no yuppies in Oildale, it's damn near yuppie free.

Steel Guitar solo…
B Bender solo…

I swam the Kern River, I've heard that highway whine.
I've felt that oily dusty wind, I've seen the sparkling guitars shine…
Now it feels just like a memory, like a lover packed and gone,
This town's about froze to death, I best be movin on.

And there ain't no yuppies in Oildale, it's damn near yuppie free.
And you won't find no soccer Moms ridin' round in SUVs
They tore down the blackboard, and there ain't much left to see.
But there ain't no yuppies in Oildale, it's damn near yuppie free..

Guitar and steel trading licks in the outro…


Mike Beck Recording

Mary McCaslin Recording

I don't get the "blackboard" reference. Is there a Bakersfidlian around who could explain?

Subject: ADD: Juan Guadulape (Mike Beck)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 02:23 AM

Oh, it's nice to see a post from Winters Wages, the late Lloyd Jones. Lloyd would have done a good job with this song.
I couldn't find the song on the four Mike Beck albums I found, but it's similar to a number of songs Mike Beck does that have a Central California theme.

JUAN GUADALUPE
(Mike Beck)

How he ended up here from Yacateca, God only knows,
With an old straw hat, a denim coat, and one pair of clothes.
It’s a long, long way from Elko to the place he knows.
He’s Juan Guadalupe, from Old Mexico.

His heritage is of the proud vaquero
And the riata in his hands you know that he can throw,
And a way with cows and horses are the things he knows.
He’s Juan Guadalupe, from Old Mexico.

But he hasn’t got a dime to show,
Because his money goes to feed his family down in Mexico,
And his wife of fifteen years sees him at Christmas,
Every other year.
When the kids line up to say goodbye,
They all try hard not to cry
For Juan Guadalupe, from Old Mexico.

But he hasn't got a dime to show,
Because his money goes to feed his family down in Mexico,
And his wife of fifteen years sees him at Christmas,
Every other year.
When the kids line up to say good-bye,
They all try hard not to cry
For Juan Guadalupe, from Old Mexico.
He’s Juan Guadalupe.
He’s one proud vaquero.


I transcribed this from the recording of a group named Montana Rose, on their "Star of Bannack" album. Then I found it on their Website

Subject: RE: Juan Guadulape
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Oct 99 - 12:28 AM

Refreshed for Winter's Wages.

Subject: RE: Juan Guadulape
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Aug 99 - 03:07 AM

I found a couple of different sites for Mike Beck's stuff. The last one was his own. If you click here & scroll down you will find a WAV file of the song, so you could transcribe the words. BUT, I also noticed, he had a note at the bottom of that page saying if you want copies of the lyrics to sign up for his mailing list or just drop him a line.

Might be kinda nice if you sent him an invite to join us at the Mudcat. Seems like a nice, down to earth kinda guy. Nice song, too.

Katlaughing

Subject: Juan Guadulape
From: Winters Wages
Date: 28 Aug 99 - 12:23 AM

I am trying to find the words and chords to a song that was done by an artist named Mike Beck. He had a guest musician....One of my favoruties..Ian Tyson. The title: Juan Guadalupe. Any help would be great. I have gone to Ian's web page but of course nothing there. Anyway...any info would be great. Regards W Wages