Lyr Add: I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M BOUND TO FOLLOW THE LONGHORN COWS
From: Gerard
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 01:48 PM

I'M BOUND TO FOLLOW THE LONGHORN COWS

I'm bound to follow the longhorn cows until I git too old,
It's well I work for wages, boys, and git my pay in gold.
My bosses, they all like me well, they say I'm hard to beat,
Because I give 'em the bum stand-off, they know I've got the cheek.

Ki-yi-yippee yipppe yay, Ki-yi-yippee yippee yay (after each verse)

Yes I'm a Texas cowboy, just off the stormy plains,
My trade is cinchin' saddles and pullin' bridle reins,
O I can tip the the lasso, boys it is with graceful ease,
I can rope a streak of lightnin' and ride it where I please.

Now when we git them bedded down, we think it's for the night,
Some horse will shake a saddle and give the herd a fright,
The herd will rise up to its feet and madly dash away,
'It's movin' time, to the lead, my boys,' you'll hear some cowboy say.

And when we git them rounded up and just about quieted down,
The storm's a-risin' in the west, and fire plays on their horns,
The foreman says, 'Stay with 'em, boys, your pay will be in gold' -
I'm bound to follow the longhorn cows, until I git too old.

One night way up in Kansas, I had a pleasant dream,
I dreamed I'se back in Texas, boys, down by some pleasant stream,
My love was right beside me, boys, she'd come to go my bail,
But I woke up broken-heared with a yearling by the tail.

Now if I had a little stake, I soon would married be,
But another week and I must go, the boss said so today.
My girl must cheer up courage and choose some other one,
For I'm bound to follow the longhorn cows until my race is run.

Notes: I first heard this on the CD "Cowboy Songs Of The Old West" with Alan Lomax and Ed McCurdy. The lyrics are found in "The Folk Songs Of North America", 1960 by Alan Lomax, p. 368. There are a few slight variations he uses in the singing version, for example, in verse 2, the text says "Yes, I'm a rowdy cowboy", while the CD version is "Yes I'm a Texas cowboy."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add. I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 24 Oct 11 - 04:28 AM

One version I have heard Alan Lomax sing [not sure on what record ~ I came across it years ago on a compilation tape that a friend had made for me] had the final verse above at #3, followed by [from memory]

And now we're out upon the plain where the dust and billows fly,
Forty miles from water and the ground is parching dry;
The boss gets mad and rainy[?] as we all may plainly see
And I wish that I could quit the trail and an honest farmer be.

Then followed the 'bedded down' and 'quieted down' stanzas, and the final line [surely a better climax] was "yearling by the tail".

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Lyr Add. I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 25 Oct 11 - 12:04 AM

BTW my version is on my youtube channel -



http://www.youtube.com/user/mgmyer

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M BOUND TO FOLLOW THE LONGHORN COWS
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Oct 11 - 08:14 PM

Here's how I hear it. Note that in includes a version of the verse supplied by MtheGM and the verses are in a different order than those posted by Gerard (besides lots of other differences that I have boldfaced):


I'M BOUND TO FOLLOW THE LONGHORN COWS
As sung by Alan Lomax on "Cowboy Songs of the Old West" (reissued 2009)

1. I'm bound to follow the longhorn cows until I get too old.
It's well I work for wages, boys, and get my pay in gold.
My bosses they all like me well; they say I'm hard to beat.
Because I give 'em the bum stand-off, they know I've got the cheek.

Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay, Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay (after each verse)

2. Now I'm a Texas cowboy, just off the stormy plains.
My trade is girtin' saddles and pullin' bridle reins.
Oh, I can tip the lasso; it is with graceful ease.
I can rope a streak of lightnin' and ride 'er where I please.

3. Now if I had me a little stake, I soon would married be,
But another week and I must go; the boss said so today.
My girl must cheer up courage and choose some other one,
For I'm bound to follow the Lone Star Trail until my race is won.

4. It's when we're on the trail where the dust and the billows fly,
It's fifty miles from water and the grass is scorchin' dry;
The boss gets mad and ringy as you can plainly see
And I want to leave the trail, my boys, and an honest farmer be.

5. And when we get them bedded, boys, we think it's for the night,
Some horse will shake his saddle and give that herd a fright.
They'll rise up to their feet, my boys, and madly dash away.
Then it's movin' time; "To the lead, my boys," you'll hear some cowboy say.

6. And when we get them rounded up and quietened down again,
A dark cloud will rise in the west, and fire will play on their horns.
The boss will say, "Stay with 'em, boys; your pay will be in gold."
I'm bound to follow the longhorn steer until I get too old.

7. When I get in Kansas, I had a pleasant dream.
I dreamt I's down on the Trinity, down by that pleasant stream.
My true love right beside me, she'd come to go my bail,
But I woke up broken-hearted with a yearling by the tail.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows
From: catspaw49
Date: 27 Oct 11 - 09:06 PM

Tell ya' what, if this guy follows the cow too close they'll get him for bestiality....................

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Oct 11 - 09:39 PM

Hey, he follows steers too. He doesn't discriminate.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows
From: Janie
Date: 27 Oct 11 - 10:11 PM

Blue clicky for MtheGm's link.

http://www.youtube.com/user/mgmyer

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 05:03 AM

Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:

I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows

DESCRIPTION: "I'm bound to follow the longhorn cows until I git too old. It's well I work for wages, boys, I git my pay in gold." The singer boasts of his skills as a cowboy. He describes the difficulties of stampedes. He hopes to save up money to be married
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1910 (Lomax)
KEYWORDS: cowboy work bragging money gold loneliness love marriage
FOUND IN: US(So,SW)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Larkin, pp. 162-163, "I'm Bound to Follow the Long Horn Cow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax-FSNA 186, "I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows" (1 text, 1 tune)
Hudson 97, pp. 228-229, "The Jolly Cowboy" (1 text, much shorter than Lomax's)
Asch/Dunson/Raim, p. 104, "The Lone Star Trail" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fife-Cowboy/West 114, "Lone Star Trail" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Roud #5765
RECORDINGS:
Ken Maynard, "The Lone Star Trail" (Columbia 2310-D, 1930; on AAFM3, WhenIWas1)
NOTES: This song was featured in the film "The Wagon Master"; Ken Maynard is described as the "pioneer of cowboy singing stars" in the movies. - PJS
Guy Logsdon, on p. 52 of Scott B. Spencer, editor, The Ballad Collectors of North America, Scarecrow Press, 2012, agrees in part, "In the early 1930s, Ken Maynard, though lacking vocal skills, became the first 'reel' cowboy to sing in a motion picture, but Gene Autry was the singer for whom the genre was created." It is interesting to note that (as of this writing) the Ballad Index cites six Maynard recordings -- but three of them appear to have been unissued at the time!
If the texts printed by the Fifes are any indication, this piece can take on almost any form, and the incidents can take place in almost any order; the only line their texts have entirely in common is "My trade is cinches and saddles and ropes and bridle reins." And the Lomax text is again very different, with changes in all the verses, much new material, and a different order. - RBW
Last updated in version 2.7
File: LoF186

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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows
From: Lighter
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 09:38 AM

M: "The boss gets mad an' *ringy.*   Don't know why, but it rhymes with "stringy" and means "ornery." It's more often used of "broncs" than of people.

Jim:
"give 'em the *bold* stand-off"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 11:15 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czVgJk8mmDI

Version by Lomax there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows
From: GUEST,Gordon Banks
Date: 09 Jul 17 - 02:52 PM

Ken Maynard "lacking in vocal skills"? His high pitched yodel on this song sends chills down my spine. Pavarotti he isn't, but he has skills, just the same.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows
From: RandyL
Date: 30 Jan 22 - 02:28 PM

The cattle call in the Lone Star Trail song was to let the cattle know the cowboys in the outfit were near especially at night to keep them from getting spooked. Just the same if I were a cow I'd know who the cowboy was that first cowboy to sing it to me!