Lyr Req: Lonesome Trail Ain't Lonesome Any More

Subject: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: GUEST,Leslie Butler
Date: 05 Dec 03 - 02:48 AM

It's a Cowboy's farewell to the Prairie
Hang your mustang on the hook behind the door
Hand me down my walking cane cousin Mary
For the lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more.

That's the chorus. Anyone got the verses?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Dec 03 - 03:12 AM

Sounds interesting, but I couldn't find it. How do you hang a mustang on a hook?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: open mike
Date: 05 Dec 03 - 03:39 AM

very carefully

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Dec 03 - 09:56 AM

I found out it was written by Sydney Lipton.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 05:38 PM

According to this discography, Al Bowlly, vocalist, recorded THE LONESOME TRAIL AIN'T LONESOME ANY MORE with Sidney Lipton and His Orchestra in London in 1938.

Big Bill Campbell, a Canadian cowboy actor and musician who moved to Britain in the 1930s, also recorded THE LONESOME TRAIL AIN'T LONESOME ANY MORE. It was reissued on the album "Rocky Mountain Rhythm," which is still available.

However, I'm not certain that's the song you're requesting. There is also an unrelated song called HAND ME DOWN MY WALKIN' CANE. This makes me suspect that the song you quote is a pastiche of song titles and cliché phrases from various cowboy songs. (Maybe that's why it doesn't make much sense.) Songs of this genre were once very popular. See this thread for other examples.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: GUEST,Lesie Butler
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 07:18 AM

Thanks, espec to Jim Dixon. Yes, it's a jokey pastiche song with lines like "the day old 2-gun Sam got run over by a tram" and "You can't do not good trackin' for folks courtin in the bracken."
Any more leads or memories?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From:
Date: 24 Dec 05 - 12:09 PM

I'm also trying to piece together this song. I have the chorus as you do and remember the odd line eg: 'Two-gun' Sam being run over by a tram. The only other fragment I have is:

The lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more (I think all verses start and finish with this line)
We don't have no good lynchings any more
The other day when we were hustling
well, we hung a leaf for rustling
Oh, the lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more

Please let me know if you have collected any more verses. It's a real gem!

Howard

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 24 Dec 05 - 02:52 PM

Strange coincidence - I was thinking of this song recently, reminded 'cos my father used to sing it, well part of it,
I recalled only what I thought of as the chorus -
"It's a Cowboy's farewell to the Prairie
Hang your mustang on the hook behind the door
Every cowboy's hastin' there to be merry
For the Lonesome Trail ain't lonesome any more",
which was capped off by a pathetic attempt at a yodel-ay-ee-hee cadence to finish it!

I was always amused by the idea of the mustang hanging on a hook too - but I never did find out where he got the song from nor any more of the words. And incidentally, it was virtually the only song I ever heard him sing, so popular western movies in the 30s and 40s must've provided the source I guess. So one day we'll hear the rest of it! Whatever, it sure sounds like a gem...
MM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: Peace
Date: 24 Dec 05 - 02:58 PM

Available on CD here.

Scroll down to #4.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: open mike
Date: 24 Dec 05 - 03:31 PM

probably hanging the keys to his ford mustang on the hook...
a couple of songs it brings to mind..
Herding cattle in an air conditioned cadillac coupe de ville
(heard from robin and linda williams)
and I'm an old cow hand from the rio grande

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 24 Dec 05 - 04:59 PM

Peace (and others)--CAmsco carries it for $11.98. Along with the entire BACM catalog.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: open mike
Date: 24 Dec 05 - 07:51 PM

hmmm..British Archive Of Country Music?!
great@

CAMSCO!!??

double great...support this company...
and give them a vote of confidence
for their support of OUR music!!

http://www.camsco.com/

traditional, folk, music avaialble here

toll free at 800-548-3655   
E-mail [e-mail]
or snail mail:
Camsco Music
28 Powell Street
Greenwich, CT 06831

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: GUEST,nem
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 08:10 AM

I'm interested in having the words. These are some of the verses I remember

Oh, the lonesome trail ain't lonesome anymore
It's a different place from what it was before
And this land of peace and quiet
Has been turned into a riot
Oh, the lonesome trail ain't lonesome anymore

Oh, the lonesome trail ain't lonesome anymore
There are tourists going out there by the score
Where the mountain roadway narrows
There's a parking place for (?charies)
Oh, the Lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: open mike
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 10:56 PM

Tom Paxton has a song that states
the chisholm trail became the road to disney land
and goes on with:
the only long horns left are in the movies
and:
the only buffalo left are in the zoo
(or something to that effect)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: Peace
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 11:26 PM

The sheet music exists.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: GUEST, Douglas
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 10:04 AM

This is song was recorded by The Three Musketeers, there are some black vinyls on Amazon I think but I hve nothing to play them on.

The verses I remeber are

Oh lonesome trail aint lonesome anymore
And the tourists they all go there by the score
And where the road it 'narrers' (narrows)
There's a parkin' place for 'charas' (abb.charabancs)
Oh the lonesome trail aint lonesome anymore
Chrous:
It's the cowboys farewell to the prarie,
And my mustang's on a hook behaund the door (joke! symbolic! durr)
Hand me down my walkin'cane cousin Mary
For the lonesome trail aint lonesome anymore

verse
Oh the lonesome trail aint lonesome anymore
And the tourists they all go there by the score (should be a different 2nd line I think though not on this blog)
There's a laundry and a dairy
And a golf course on the prarie
Oh the................
Chorus

I remember this not as a spoof but as a genuine rueful reflection on the loss on an era. Anymore would love to get some more genuine verses

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: Schantieman
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 07:07 AM

There's also the Cowboy's Farewell to his Horse:

1. He was saying goodbye to his horse
He was saying goodbye to his horse
And as he was saying goodbye to his horse
He was saying goodbye to his horse

Chorus:

Goodbye horse
Goodbye horse
He was saying goodbye to his horse
And as he was saying goodbye to his horse
He was saying goodbye to his horse


Verses 2 - n are the same as V.1

Enjoy ;-)

Steve

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 10:22 AM

Just to keep things up to date, CAMSCO's URL is camscomusic.com
It was camsco.com, but we sold it to a similarly named corporation.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: Art Thieme
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 01:52 PM

The Bush years were too sickening to take the trouble to immortalize then in song.

Art

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cowboy's farewell to the prairie
From: Art Thieme
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 01:53 PM

Sorry, wrong thread.

Art

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Trail Ain't Lonesome Any More
From: GUEST,Mandy Marsh
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 02:14 PM

Came across this from the Spokane Daily Chronicle Jan 14 1941. Disappointed to see it was originally a musket hanging on a hook behind the doorand not a mustang.


http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19410114&id=zNdXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XPUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7385,2712547

Subject: Lyr Add: THEY'RE TOUGH, MIGHTY TOUGH IN THE WEST
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 02:39 PM

The Lonesome Trail Ain't Lonesome Any More
Written By – Erard & Trafford

Found the following when I was doodlin' around the i'net.


"OH, THEY'RE TOUGH, MIGHTY TOUGH IN THE WEST
(Clive Erard / Frank Trafford)

George Elrick - 1937
Nat Gonella & His Georgians - 1937
Ambrose & His Orch. - 1937


Oh, they're tough, mighty tough in the west
And they've lots of curly hair upon their chest
You can never be a lily
If you want to be hillbilly
'Cos they're tough mighty tough in the West

Oh, they're tough, mighty tough in the West
And your trigger must be quicker than the rest
In Chicago there are tough guys
But the really treat-em-rough guys
Where are they (you tell us son) in the West

(Singing Oh Susannah, won't you marry me
And we'll all live as long as the old oak tree)

Oh, they're tough, mighty tough in the West
And they never change their socks or change their vest
Soap and water's just a laugh
For they never take a bath
'Cos they're tough, mighty tough in the West

Oh, they're tough, mighty tough in the West
And a stranger there can never stand the test
They'd a Russian guy called Bostik
But he scrammed to Vladivostik
And they're tough, mighty tough in the West

(Singing Oh Susannah, won't you marry me
And we'll all live as long as the old oak tree)

Oh, they're tough, mighty tough in the West
And the sheriff goes to jail to take a rest
Those guys never wear galoshes
And they try on bolts and washers
'Cos they're tough, mighty tough in the West

Oh, they're tough, mighty tough in the West
And they measure sixty-four around the chest
Every hair upon their torso
Is like a steel string, only more so
'Cos they're tough, mighty tough in the West

(Singing Oh Susannah, won't you marry me
And we'll all live as long as the old oak tree)

Oh, they're tough, mighty tough in the West
And their beards are thicker than an eagles nest
Dentists there have caveman manners
As they pull out teeth with spanners
'Cos they're tough, mighty tough in the West

Oh, they're tough, mighty tough in the West
You can never let your trigger finger rest
And if times are going hard
You just double cross your pard
'Cos they're tough, mighty tough in the West

(Singing Oh Susannah, won't you marry me
And we'll all live as long as the old oak tree)

Oh, they're tough, mighty tough in the West
And another thing those hombres can digest
Prussic acid in the licquor
But them guys are never sicker
'Cos they're tough, mighty tough in the West

Oh, they're tough, mighty tough in the West
And the one who lives the longest shoots the best
If you dare go to bed
When you wake up you'll be dead
'Cos they're tough, mighty tough in the West


(Transcribed by Bill Huntley - December 2004)"

from

http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/o/ohtheyretoughmightytoughinthewest.shtml

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Trail Ain't Lonesome Any More
From: GUEST,Douglas
Date: 16 Jan 13 - 08:09 AM

The original version exists with some of the old c&w singers but there is a spoo by The Three Musketeers

Subject: Lyr Add: LONESOME TRAIL AIN'T LONESOME ANY MORE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Jan 13 - 12:31 PM

The British Library and the National Library of Australia have the sheet music for this song, but I transcribed the following lyrics from a recording on Spotify. I found it surprising to hear a British dance band try to imitate the style of an American cowboy song, complete with backup singers affecting a nasal twang. The song is apparently *not* intended as mockery.


THE LONESOME TRAIL AIN'T LONESOME ANY MORE
Words and music by Clive Erard & Frank Trafford.
Sydney : D. Davis & Co., ©1938.
As sung by Sydney Lipton and His Grosvenor House Dance Orchestra on "Just Dance"

Oh, the lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more.
It's a diff'rent place to what it was before,
And that land of peace and quiet
Has been turned into a riot.
Oh, the lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more.

It's the cowboy's farewell to the prairie.
Hang my mustang* on the hook behind the door.
Hand me down my walking cane, cousin Mary,
For the lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more.

Oh, the lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more.
There's a dance hall where the stable was before.
Instead of broncos bucking,
All the boys are learning trucking,
For the lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more.

[Yodel]
Hand me down my walking cane, cousin Mary,
For the lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more.

Oh, the lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more.
Oh, the lonesome trail ain't lonesome any more.


[* I wonder what they think a mustang is.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Trail Ain't Lonesome Any More
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Jan 13 - 01:54 PM

I also listened to THEY'RE TOUGH, MIGHTY TOUGH IN THE WEST sung by George Elrick on the various-artists compilation "1937 in Music, Vol. 1." I figure this must be the recording from which the transcription posted above must have been taken. I propose the following corrections:

Verse 1, line 2: And they've lumps of curly hair upon their chest
Verse 2, line 5: Where are they? (You said it, son.) In the West.
Verse 3, line 4: For they'd never take a bath
Verse 5, line 4: And they chew on bolts and washers
Verse 6, line 4: Is like a steel spring, only more so
Verse 7, line 4: And they pull out teeth with spanners
Verse 9, line 2: And there's another thing those hombres can digest
Verse 9, line 4: But them guys are never shicker [drunk]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Trail Ain't Lonesome Any More
From: GUEST,Steve Thorp
Date: 30 Jun 15 - 04:33 AM

MY Father used to sing

Oh the lonesome trail ain't lonesome anymore
It's a different place to what it was before
Since they had a motor rally, caught a fish up in the valley
Oh the etc

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lonesome Trail Ain't Lonesome Any More
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Oct 15 - 02:51 PM