Lyr Req: Twilight on the Trail

Subject: twilight on the trail
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jun 11 - 05:03 PM

Does anyone remember a song called 'Twilight on the Trail?' I've tried to find out about the song and it's story. I think the song was written about 1929 and first recorded by Gene Autry but the most famous recording was by Rex Allen.

Subject: ADD: Twilight on the Trail (Mitchell and Alter)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Jun 11 - 05:11 PM

TWILIGHT ON THE TRAIL
words by Sidney Mitchell
music by Sidney Mitchell and Louis Alter
published in 1935

When it's twilight on the trail,
And I jog along,
The world is like a dream
And the ripple of the stream is my song . . .

When it's twilight on the trail,
And I rest once more,
My ceiling is the sky
And the grass on which I lie is my floor . . .

[bridge]
Never ever have a nickel in my jeans,
Never ever have a debt to pay,
Still I understand what real contentment means,
Guess I was born that way . . .

When it's twilight on the trail,
And my voice is still,
Please plant this heart of mine
Underneath the lonesome pine on the hill . . .

When it's twilight on the trail . . .

~ from the 1936 Paramount film "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine"
Music by Louis Alter and lyrics by Sidney D. Mitchell, 1936


lyrics from http://www.metrolyrics.com/twilight-on-the-trail-lyrics-perry-como.html ]
The lyrics are accurate - I compared them with the Nat "King" Cole recording and several others. Also recorded by Bing Crosby, Sons of the Pioneers, Sam Cooke, and a host of others.

sheet music for sale at http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdVPE.asp?ppn=MN0058425

Subject: RE: twilight on the trail
From: pdq
Date: 18 Jun 11 - 05:27 PM

There is another song with a similar title "Moonlight on the Trail" that was written by Tim Spencer, one of the Sons of the Pioneers.

"Twilight on the Trail" has a complex melody and an advanced cord progression that gives it away as a Hollywood movie song, probably written by classically-trained musicains. Such songs are niclely mixed with trad folk songs and original compostions (such as Spencer's) to give Cowboy Music a lot of variety.

Subject: Lyr Add: TWILIGHT ON THE TRAIL (from Gene Autry)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jun 11 - 05:36 PM

And the other, sung by Gene Autrey:

Lyr. Add: TWILIGHT ON THE TRAIL

You and me in the arms of the twilight on the trail
Making camp along the way
You and me in the arms of twilight on the trail
At rest at the end of the day.

The stars overhead
With their message unsaid
The glow from the fire in our eyes
The wind through the trees
A warm southern breeze,
The earth is embraced by the skies.

You and me in the arms of the twilight on the trail
On the trail to paradise.

The night gathers in
We lazily spin
On an ocean of peaceful dreams
The great Northern Light
In unbridled delight
Dances the dance of kings

You and me in the arms of the twilight on the trail
On the trail to paradise.

http://artists.letssingit.com/gene-autrey-lyrics-twilight-on-the-trail-27xj1t6

Subject: RE: twilight on the trail
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jun 11 - 05:45 PM

Not sure of author of the one I posted, may be Michael Nesmith, BMI, and pub. by Peaceful Music Co.

Subject: RE: twilight on the trail
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Jun 11 - 06:35 PM

Q, The songwriter Michael Nesmith I know of was born in 1942, so it seems unlikely he penned a song that was recorded by Gene Autry.
Could be somebody else of the same name, I suppose...

-Joe-

Subject: RE: twilight on the trail
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jun 11 - 07:50 PM

It was just a guess, Joe. No real idea who penned the song I posted.

I did find out that it was sung by The Sons of the Pioneers and Roy Rogers. It is in the collection "Down Memory Trail with the Sons of the Pioneers," disc 3 (Readers Digest Music).

Now that makes me wonder if the site I quoted is wrong, and that it is a Rogers-Evans, and Rogers-Sons of the Pioneers song, not Autrey!

Subject: RE: twilight on the trail
From: pdq
Date: 18 Jun 11 - 08:06 PM

I find no evidence that Gere Autry ever recorded any of the songs mentioned so far.

Autry's last recording session was 1964, so it is not very likely he recorded anything by the ex Monkey.

Both Rex Allen and the Sons of the Pioneers (Roy Rogers) did the 1936 one written by Mitchell/Alter. Great melody, works as a instrumental.

Subject: RE: twilight on the trail
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Jun 11 - 02:27 AM

I haven't found a recording of the "Twilight on the Trail" that Q posted. All the ones I've listened to, are the song I posted.

This is a Hollywood cowboy song, for sure - but I like it.

Anybody know of a recording of the "Q" song?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: ADD/Info: Twilight on the Trail
From: GUEST,Doug Saum
Date: 19 Jun 11 - 11:51 AM

On a wall in my recording studio I display a couple dozen of my favorite albums (anybody remember vinyl?). I find "Twilight on the Trail" as a track on one of these. The album is COOL WATER by The Sons of the Pioneers. It lists the track as being composed by "Mitchell-Alter."

DS

Subject: RE: ADD/Info: Twilight on the Trail
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 20 Jun 11 - 10:08 AM

Here's the URL of a video of Michael Nesmith singing his 'Twilight on the Trail.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-I4Sq4_kI

I liked the interesting chords in it.

This is the song posted by Q above.

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: TWILIGHT ON THE TRAIL
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 20 Jun 11 - 05:00 PM

Twilight on The Trail


C        
When it's twilight on the trail,

And I jog along,
          F                      Em
The world is like a dream
                F                   Fm                C        G7
And the ripple of the stream is my song . . .

When it's twilight on the trail,

And I rest once more,

My ceiling is the sky

And the grass on which I lie is my floor . . .

Em                        AM        F
Never ever have a nickel in my jeans,
Em                 Am        F
Never ever have a debt to pay,
Em                           Am             F
Still I understand what real contentment means,
G                   D7          G7    G
Guess I was born that way . . .



When it's twilight on the trail,
And my voice is still,
Please plant this heart of mine
Underneath the lonesome pine on the hill . . .

( Underneath the lonesome pine on the hill . . . )
When it's twilight on the trail . . .

Mike Nesmith does a song he wrote Called Twilight on The Trail.

I have Gene Autry doing this as well as a Sourdough Slim recording. He does it on Youtube as well.

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twilight on the Trail
From: GUEST,Dixon
Date: 05 Dec 11 - 01:03 PM

I believe the song was sung in the 1936 movie The Trail of the Lonesome Pine by Fuzzy Knight. The movie starred Fred Mcmurrey, Henry Fonda and Sylvia Sydney. Fuzzy played a character named Tate.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twilight on the Trail
From: open mike
Date: 05 Dec 11 - 01:29 PM

Michael Nesmith was one of the members of the group the Monkees.
He has a project "Video Ranch" http://www.videoranch.com/ which is a hi-tech site where you can experience live concerts...and create your own avatar and inter-act with others on line.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twilight on the Trail
From: GUEST,alan genn
Date: 22 Jan 20 - 06:31 PM

my first album was gene autry .It was 6 records of 78's.twilight on the trail was one of them.I had it in the late40s .there were no 45s 0r 33s thenplayed it on a phonograph.