Lyr Req: Oregon Trail

Subject: Oregon Trail
From: GUEST,Finn McCool
Date: 21 Jan 02 - 01:12 PM

Dear Catters,

I am looking for lyrics to and info about a song called Oregon Trail. A Google search turned up nothing about the song, but plenty about the Trail. I first heard Woody Guthrie perform it on an LP from the early 60's or late 50's. Royer's One Man Band (bluegrass) also recorded it on a private label. It starts "I been grubbin' on a little farm on a flat and windy plain".

--Finn

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Art Thieme
Date: 21 Jan 02 - 01:36 PM

"...I'm gonna hit that Oregon Trail this comin' Fall..."

I've got it here but it'll take some searching. Will get back to you.

Art

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 21 Jan 02 - 03:13 PM

If ya can wait a bit, I'm puttin' it on my next album. Always thought Woody's recording was one of the best things he ever did.

Rick

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Jan 02 - 03:20 PM

Here's a little bit about it: Oregon Trail

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: leprechaun
Date: 21 Jan 02 - 07:17 PM

Hooray for the Oregon Trail!

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Finn McCool
Date: 21 Jan 02 - 08:04 PM

Rick,

When's your album coming out and what's it called?

--Finn (now properly identified as a Mudcat member with reset cookie)

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Suffet
Date: 22 Jan 02 - 06:34 AM

The Oregon Trail, orginally titled Oregon Line, is one of the 26 songs Woody Guthrie wrote for the Bonneville Power Administration in 1941. You can find it in Roll On Columbia: the Coumbia River Collection, a compilation of those songs edited by Bill Murlin and published by Sing Out! in 1991. You can hear Woody sing The Oregon Trail on the CD that Sing Out! released along with the compilation, or on an old Folkways LP.

Several of the songs Woody gave to the Bonneville Power Administration were ones he had recycled. Woody's earlier version is called Dry Spell On the Plains. It has the same tune and nearly the same words as The Oregon Trail, but it does not contain any reference to the Pacific Northwest. You can find Dry Spell On the Plains in The Nearly Complete Collection of Woody Guthrie Folk Songs, published by Ludlow Music in 1963. Lot's of luck trying to locate a copy!

--- Steve

Subject: Lyr Add: DRY SPELL ON THE PLAINS (Woody Guthrie)
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 03 Feb 02 - 01:24 AM

I have that book!:

DRY SPELL ON THE PLAINS
(Words and New Music Adaptation by Woody Guthrie)

I was a-grubbin' on a piece of land
When this dry spell hit these plains
Raisin' up some crops t'pay my debts I owe
That ole dry dust-cloud come a-rollin'
Wife, she prayed, and our kids all bawlin'
When we fought this awful dry spell on the plains

CHORUS:
When we fought this awful dry spell on the plains
When we fought this awful dry spell on the plains
Tumblin' weeds an' driftin' sands
Great big blisters on my hands
When we fought this awful dry spell on the plains

My topsod was a-cracklin' dry
All of my chickens a-cacklin' cried
'Cause this dirt an' dust kept a-chokin' in their lungs
Hens all a-layin' flintrock eggs
I hadta bust them with a sledge
When we fought this awful dry spell on the plains

Hogs an' piggies cried an' squealed
The boars they rocked an' the sows all reeled
'Cause that water dried up from their waterin' place
Livestock dried up one by one
Turned all to a pile of bones
When we fought that awful dry spell on the plains

My ole hoss an' mule got boney
Both got sickly, both got hungry
And their bones all scattered 'round my place
I walked on their bones six hours
An' I never did touch a spot of ground
When we fought that awful dry spell on the plains

Yes, my wife got sort of ailin'
She got worse as the dust kept sailin'
I didn't have no money to drive her to the doctor man
'Round her bed she told us all
"I'm goin' on where the dust can't find me."
When we fought that awful dry spell on the plains


I am at this moment listening to a tape of Tex Ritter singing "Oregon Trail", but it's a completely different song from the above.
Joan

Subject: Lyr Add: OREGON TRAIL (Woody Guthrie)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Feb 02 - 09:23 AM

OREGON TRAIL

I've been a-grubbin' on a little farm on the flat and windy plains
I've been a-listenin' to the hungry cattle bawl
I'm gonna pack my wife and kids, I'm gonna hit that western road
I'm gonna hit that Oregon Trail this comin' fall

*I'm gonna hit that Oregon Trail this comin' fall
Hit that Oregon Trail this comin' fall
Where the good rain falls aplenty and the crops and orchards grow
I'm gonna hit that Oregon Trail this comin' fall

Well, my land is dry and crackin' and my chicken they're a-cacklin'
Cuz the dirt and dust is gettin' in their craw
They've been layin' flint rock eggs, I had to bust them with a sledge
And I'm gonna hit that Oregon Trail this comin' fall

(*repeat)

Well, my hogs and pigs're squealin', they're rockin' and a-reelin'
Cuz there ain't no water to water in the drawer
I'm gonna grab one by his tail, I'm gonna take it down the western trail
And we'll hit that Oregon Trail this comin' fall

Now my good ol' horse is bony, yes he's dry and hungry too
You can see his ribs three quarters of a mile
Oh, the kids are funny as bags and the big horse end up black
And we'll hit that Oregon Trail this comin' fall

(*repeat)

Well, my wife gets sort of ailin' when that mean ol' dust is sailin'
And she wishes for the days beyond recall
If the work there's in the future in that North Pacific land
So we'll hit that Oregon Trail this comin' fall

(*repeat)

From: Woody Guthrie: Columbia River Collection (OMAGATOKI (Japan) SC-2113) & The Woody Guthrie Story (Dejavu (Italy) DVRECD 50) [The former is the Japanese edition of Rounder CD 1036.]

~Masato

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 03 Feb 02 - 12:51 PM

In the third verse, that should be:

"Ain't no water to water in the draw", not "drawer". "Drawer" makes no sense whatever in this context. If this doesn't make sense to you, look up "draw" in the dictionary.

Plus, Woody sang it "draw". I have it on a CD, plain as day.

---

Dave OesterreichThread #43332   Message #815481
Posted By: Uncle_DaveO
31-Oct-02 - 05:08 PM
Thread Name: Oregon Trail
Subject: Lyr add (partial) Oregon Trail

On February 3, 2002 Masato posted a text (copied from the text with the recording, I gather) for Gonna Hit That Oregon Trail which included the following line in the fifth verse, which makes no sense at all.

"Oh, the kids are funny as bags and the big horse end up black"

I checked a recording I have of Woody singing this song, and he very clearly and understandably sings:

"Throw the kids up on his back, and the bay horse and the black"

If the song is to be put in the DT, this line should be substituted for that "funny as bags" line, as well as the "ain't no water to waller in the draw", not "drawer", as discussed earlier.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Ebbie
Date: 03 Feb 02 - 02:39 PM

Uncle DaveO, might the writer of 'drawer' be from the U.S. east coast?

Eb

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Feb 02 - 04:48 PM

Thanks, Dave. I just copied them from the notes.
~Masato

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Genie
Date: 03 Feb 02 - 10:08 PM

I have sheet music for this song, fromt he liner of a Woody Guthrie album. Maybe I can scan it or copy it and send it to Jeff or to MMario, if no one else can send the tune.

Genie

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: MAG
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 03:39 PM

Hank Cramer has recorded it, too.

PS: on the pronunciation: this state is called by residents "Warshington" --

MA, beautiful bruises, love that percocet

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 04:42 PM

Joan from Wigan, I remember "On the Oregon Trail" from an old horse opera, I think made in the 1930s. Prob the Ritter song on your tape. If you have the words, I would appreciate them. I tried Google, but there are so many history, etc. listings, that I gave up. Or anyone else?

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: MMario
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 04:47 PM

go ahead genie....

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 02:52 PM

Dicho, I'm just on my way out to the folk club, but I'll get the words off the tape as soon as I can and post them.

Joan

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Genie
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 11:07 PM

Will do, MMario.

Genie

Subject: Lyr Add: OREGON TRAIL (from Tex Ritter)
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 05:00 AM

Dicho, I couldn't make out all the words on the tape, but for what it's worth, here's what I could decipher (words I'm not sure of are in brackets):

OREGON TRAIL
(De Rose/Hill)
(from the film "Oregon Trail" (1959), sung by Tex Ritter)

An open range ahead, a blanket for a bed
A friendly farm where lonely coyotes wail
But wheels'll slowly creek (as) home sweet home they seek
That's life on the Oregon Trail

Wagon train a-windin' 'cross the prairie
Rolling onward through the storm and gales
For the land of dreams could be all (dog) seen
Down the Oregon Trail

Through the night the lord is in the saddle
Ridin' herd beneath the moon so pale
What (you norwich tray) till the break of day
Down the Oregon Trail

There'll be apples on each (break) in Oregon
There'll be bellies filled with golden grain
There'll be cattle on each range in Oregon
For there'll be plenty sun and rain

Hurry up, old (Pine) there, keep movin'
Your faithfull little band must never fail
'Cross the Great Divide side by side we'll ride
Down the Oregon Trail

[instrumental break]

There'll be apples on each (break) in Oregon
There'll be bellies filled with golden grain
There'll be cattle on each range in Oregon
For there'll be plenty sun and rain

Hurry up, old (Pine) there, keep movin'
Your faithful little band must never fail
'Cross the Great Divide side by side we'll ride
Down the Oregon Trail
Down the Oregon Trail


I'm sorry for the incompleteness, perhaps someone else can fill in the blanks/queries?

Joan

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 07 Feb 02 - 03:41 AM

Dicho, is this the song you were after? And can anyone else help with the words I'm having trouble with?

Joan

Subject: Lyr Add: THE OREGON TRAIL
From: masato sakurai
Date: 04 May 02 - 08:26 AM

Another "Oregon Trail" song.

THE OREGON TRAIL
(Anonymous)

Away down yonder in the Wahee Mountains,
Where folks don't know about books nor countin's,
There lived a Zeke, an old galoot,
And all he knew was how to shoot.
He had a girl and he would always tell 'er
Not to monkey with a city feller;
The city feller came without fail
And old Zeke shot him on the Oregon Trail.

On the Oregon Trail, that's where he shot 'im;
On the Oregon Trail, they came down and got 'im
The city feller came without fail
And old Zeke shot 'im on the Oregon Trail.

Hezekiah had a lovely daughter,
Never did a thing she hadn't oughter,
She married Zeke and they went alone
Up in the mountains and built a home.
It wasn't long until the stork came flying,
Brought a kid that was always crying.
The poor stork died he grew so frail--
Couldn't stand it on the Oregon Trail.

On the Oregon Trail, that's where they killed 'im.
On the Oregon Trail sa tomb they built 'im.
They dug his grave and on it wrote:
"This poor bird was the family goat."
He carried kids until his back was broke on the Oregon Trail.

(Source: Charles O'Brien Kennedy, A Treasury of American Ballads, Arco, 1957, pp. 67-68 [text only]; also in Kennedy, American Ballads, Fawcett Publications, 1952, 1956, p. 183)

~Masato

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Art Thieme
Date: 04 May 02 - 11:47 AM

Masato,

You are pretty amazing, and I salute you! These threads are never over 'til they're over.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 May 02 - 01:23 PM

Joan from Wigan, thanks for the Ritter Oregon Trail. Sorry for the late thank you, but I must have been away when the thread came up on Feb 6.
The one I was looking for is a remake of "Green Grow...." with the last line, "Green grow the lilacs(?) on the Oregon Trail." There were probably several used in the old oaters.
Masato, is the Kennedy worth getting? The ballad about "old Zeke" I remember now, but it had slipped my mind. It was sung in Colorado-New Mexico when I was a kid.

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: masato sakurai
Date: 04 May 02 - 08:52 PM

Dicho, the Kennedy book (A Treasury is an enlarged hardcover) is, in my opinion, a "hotchpotch" collection (398 pages) of poems, old popular songs, folk songs and so on (not a book of ballads in the strict sense of the word). I don't think it's a must; however, there're a lot of less-known poems and songs in it. Texts only, and little info on background.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 May 02 - 09:20 PM

Thanks, Masato. Anyway, copies are cheap.

Subject: Lyr add (partial) Oregon Trail
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 05:08 PM

On February 3, 2002 Masato posted a text (copied from the text with the recording, I gather) for Gonna Hit That Oregon Trail which included the following line in the fifth verse, which makes no sense at all...

---

Text of this message moved up toward the top, so it's next to Masato's Feb 3 post.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Oregon Trail
From: mg
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 05:42 PM

Mary Benson does a rendition of a song about the Oregon trail by a Portland group...

For a good song about a dust storm, Bill Gallagher of Victoria B.C...has a great one...

And I am from SW Washington and I swear we don't call it Warshington in this part of the state...maybe it is a localized thing.

mg

Subject: Lyr Add: OREGON TRAIL (De Rose/Hill)
From: Gerard
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 01:43 PM

The following is an edited version filling in some of the missing words from the previous e-Mail


OREGON TRAIL
(De Rose/Hill)
(from the film "Oregon Trail" (1959), sung by Tex Ritter)

An open range ahead, a blanket for a bed
A friendly farm where lonely coyotes wail
But wheels'll slowly creek (as) home sweet home they seek
That's life on the Oregon Trail

Wagon train a-windin' 'cross the prairie
Rolling onward through the storm and gales
For the land of dreams could be all (dog) seen
Down the Oregon Trail

Through the night the lord is in the saddle
Ridin' herd beneath the moon so pale
What (you norwich tray) till the break of day
Down the Oregon Trail

There'll be apples on each branch in Oregon
There'll be bellies filled with golden grain
There'll be cattle on each range in Oregon
For there'll be plenty sun and rain

Hurry up, old Pioneer there, keep movin'
Your faithfull little band must never fail
'Cross the Great Divide side by side we'll ride
Down the Oregon Trail

[instrumental break]

There'll be apples on each (break) in Oregon
There'll be bellies filled with golden grain
There'll be cattle on each range in Oregon
For there'll be plenty sun and rain

Hurry up, old (Pine) there, keep movin'
Your faithful little band must never fail
'Cross the Great Divide side by side we'll ride
Down the Oregon Trail
Down the Oregon Trail

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oregon Trail
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 03 Nov 04 - 07:54 AM

This one was writ in 1935.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oregon Trail
From: GUEST,Steve from Austin, and pre-1968 Portland
Date: 19 May 10 - 10:00 PM

I see I'm over five years late - but hopefully better than never!

The version I remember included these verses:

Hurry up, old Pioneer, keep movin'
Your faithful little band must never fail
'Cross the Great Divide, side by side we'll ride
Down the Oregon Trail

There'll be apples on each branch in Oregon
There'll be valleys filled with golden grain
There'll be cattle on each ranch in Oregon
For there'll be plenty of sun and rain

I think this was a version for chorus and piano, which we sang in elementary school music class, in the mid-60's.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oregon Trail
From: GUEST,Cori
Date: 21 Aug 19 - 07:12 PM

Hey, I hope someone can help.

I am looking for the song mentioned just above, which begins, "Wagon train go windin' cross the prairie." I can find the lyrics all right but only credited to Burl Ives, who may have sung the song but can't possibly have written it! This song has to be no later than 1930s, before Burl Ives was even performing. It turned up on a 1930s TCM short the other day, sung by a men's chorus dressed as cowboys, along with several other western songs. Of course I made no note of the title of the feature or the performers but they were great and I want to find it and also know who wrote and who else recorded this song! TCM does not list the short subjects shown between movies. Can anyone help? Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oregon Trail
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 21 Aug 19 - 07:25 PM

The Oregon Trail written by Peter de Rose and Billy Hill according to Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_of_the_West_(Burl_Ives_album)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oregon Trail
From: GUEST,Cori
Date: 22 Aug 19 - 02:26 AM

Thanks, strange how I couldn't find that when looking earlier.

https://secondhandsongs.com/work/198992/versions

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oregon Trail
From: John C. Bunnell
Date: 22 Aug 19 - 04:28 AM

We had the "Songs of the West" album from Burl Ives when I was growing up, and I learned the version he sang more or less by heart. The following transcribes his version:

OREGON TRAIL
(De Rose/Hill - as performed by Burl Ives)

Wagon train a-windin' 'cross the prairie
Rollin' onward through the storm and gales
Toward the land of dreams trudge the old ox teams,
Down the Oregon Trail.

Through the night the Lord is in the saddle,
Ridin' herd beneath the moon so pale;
Watchin' o-er each stray 'til the break of day;
Down the Oregon Trail.

There'll be apples on each branch in Oregon;
There'll be valleys filled with golden grain;
There'll be cattle on each ranch in Oregon,
For there'll be plenty sun and rain

Hurry up, old pioneer, keep movin';
Your faithful little band must never fail;
'Cross the Great Divide side by side we'll ride,
Down the Oregon Trai-ai-ai-ail
Down the Oregon Trail.

[instrumental break]

There'll be apples on each branch in Oregon;
There'll be valleys filled with golden grain;
There'll be cattle on each ranch in Oregon,
For there'll be plenty sun and rain....

Hurry up, old pioneer, keep movin',
Your faithful little band must never fail;
'Cross the Great Divide side by side we'll ride,
Down the Oregon Trai-ai-ai-ail,
Down the Oregon Trail!

////

Listening to some of the other versions from YouTube, I get two more verses:

[Girls of the Golden West]

A smoke cloud in the sky, a savage drum replies,
There's danger on the road to Oregon
Through herds of buffalo, 'neath mountains topped with snow,
That's life on the Oregon Trail.

[Tex Morton]

An open range ahead, a blanket for a bed,
A friendly fire where lonely coyotes wail;
But wheels'll slowly creak; of home sweet home they speak;
That's life on the Oregon Trail.

For what it's worth, I don't know where I came across it, but I'm sure that I've heard the Girls' verse from yet another source, with the last line "We sing as we're traveling on" (which makes a good deal more sense in context, although it relies on the popular error of pronouncing Oregon as "Ory-gone").