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Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail

08 Feb 00 - 01:18 PM (#175079)
Subject: Santa Fe Trail
From: GUEST,Ralf Weihrauch

Has anybody got the lyrics. Peter Bellamy sang a wonderful version of it.

Thanks,

Ralf


08 Feb 00 - 01:33 PM (#175089)
Subject: Lyr Add: SANTA FE TRAIL (James Grafton Rogers)^^
From: Abby Sale

Loverly song. Slim Critchlow.

THE SANTA FE TRAIL
by James Grafton Rogers, 1911
 
Say, pard have ye sighted a schooner
A-hittin' the Santa Fe Trail?
They made it here Monday or sooner
With a water keg roped on the rail,
With Daddy and Ma on the mule-seat
And somewhere around on the way
A tow-headed gal on a pony
A-janglin' for old Santa Fe
   Oh -- Ah – Oh --
A-janglin' for old Santa Fe.

I seen her ride down the arroyos
Way back in the Arkansas sand,
With a smile like an acre of sunflowers,
An' her little brown quirt in her hand
She straddled the pinto so airy
And rode like she carried the mail,
And her eyes near set fire to the prairie
'Long side of the Santa Fe Trail
   Oh -- Ah – Oh --
Alongside of the Santa Fe Trail.

Oh, I know a gal down on the border
That I'd ride to El Paso to sight;
I'm acquaint with the high-steppin' order,
And I've sometimes kissed some gals goodnight;
But Lord, they're all ruffles and beadin'
Or afternoon tea by the pail,
Compared to the kind of stampedin'
That I get on the Santa Fe Trail
   Oh -- Ah -- Oh --
That I get on the Santa Fe Trail.

I don't know her narne, and the prairie
When it comes to a gal's pretty wide,
Or shorter from hell to hilary
Than it is on this Santa Fe ride,
But I guess I'll make Cedars by sundown
And campin' may be in a swale,
I'll come on a gall and a pinto
Alongside of the Santa Fe Trail
   Oh -- Ah -- Oh --
Alongside of the Santa Fe Trail.
 

11/16/1821: William Becknell party reaches Santa Fe, N.M. - 1st use of Santa Fe Trail
 ^^^


added to DT October 2000

Click to play

(tune from Katie Lee's Ten Thousand Goddam Cattle -Joe Offer-)


08 Feb 00 - 01:38 PM (#175093)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Charlie Baum

In the Peter Bellamy version (also Lisa Null, Finest Kind, etc.) the "Oh -- Ah-- Oh--" becomes "Yo-ho! Yo-ho!", and it and the final line repeat on each verse.

--Charlie Baum


09 Feb 00 - 08:07 AM (#175450)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Abby Sale

"Yo-ho! Yo-ho!" is common - I think following Ed McCurdy. It sings better than Oh ah and lends itself to a short whoop after the first "ho" which is how I sing it. It just seemed to _want_ a short whoop there. There are a few othere minor differences, too. Art Thieme would be a good person to ask the source.

I posted what I believe is the "correct" (well, the original) version. Taken from Katie Lee who, undoubtedly, though not specifically stated, got it direct from Rogers. The song _did_ go into tradition, however.


09 Feb 00 - 07:18 PM (#175845)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Stewie

Jules Allen recorded the song for Victor in Los Angeles 8 April 1929 under the title 'Longside the Santa Fe Trail'. With minor variations - for example 'fluffles' and 'when you're huntin' one girl it's some wide' - the lyrics are basically what is posted above by Abby. Jules sings 'Oh-oh oh, oh' for the first 2 stanzas and changes to 'yo-ho oh, oh' for the final two - maybe that's where the yo-ho originated. Allen's recording was reissued on LP in 1973 on Richard Weize's Folk Variety label. Weize had the following interesting note:

Although Jules Allen appears not to have known it when he recorded this song and printed it in his 1933 volume 'Cowboy Lore', it was published in sheet music with the title 'The Santa Fe Trail' in 1911 by Comet Publishing Co of Denver Colorado. The words were by James Grafton Rogers, a prominent citizen of Colorado who had recently celebrated his 90th birthday; the melody and arrangement were by John H. Gower, a Denver church organist. When a very young man, Mr Rogers worked on a New York City newspaper and wrote numerous verses and songs that he hoped would qualify for Broadway shows. Later, he became a distinguished attorney, served as Dean of the University of Colorado Law School, and held many other important posts in his home state of Colorado and in the federal government in Washington DC ...

Allen's recording has been reissued recently on CD in Yazoo's wonderful 2000 series of compilations: Various Artists 'When I Was a Cowboy Vol 1: Early American Songs of the West' Yazoo 2022.

Cheers, Stewie.


10 Feb 00 - 12:03 AM (#175988)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Charlie Baum

Finest Kind learned "Santa Fe Trail" from Peter Bellamy. Peter Bellamy learned it from Lisa Null. Lisa Null learned it from her 2nd grade teacher back in elementary school, in the late 1940s. (This history provided by Lisa Null.)

--Charlie Baum


10 Feb 00 - 07:59 AM (#176072)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Abby Sale

I'm glad to see Stewie's post on this in Grafton getting credit for the song & himself. He wrote other classics ("Town of Old Dolores" also much stolen, & around which she bases her book, eg) but according to Lee, 'The Santa Fe Trail' is one of the Most Copyrighted & stolen songs in America. Long story. Seems there is also an unrelated dance band song, 'Along The Santa Fe Trail.'


10 Feb 00 - 08:52 AM (#176091)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Midchuck

As I recall, Skip Gorman has also recorded it, with a yodel instead of the "Yo Ho." I love Finestkind's singing, but the yo ho makes it sound like they can't decide if they're singing a sea chanty or a cowboy song. But maybe that's the effect they wanted.

If you ever wanted to be convinced of the importance of proper punctuation in language, consider the difference between "Yo Ho!" and "Yo! Ho'!"

Peter


12 Dec 03 - 10:54 PM (#1071354)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Listen to Doughbelly Price singing "Santa Fe Trail." You have to scroll down a ways to find the songs.
Doughbelly


13 Dec 03 - 03:25 AM (#1071409)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: GUEST,Jon Dudley

Peter Bellamy's recording is stunning.

I see there's a version of this song in the Lomaxes 'Cowboy Songs and other Frontier Ballads'. The argument for its being 'one of the most copyrighted & stolen songs in America' seems to be well substantiated by the copyright being attributed to Sherwin and Klickmann 1934 (!) Robbins Music Corp. in this instance.

Aside from this...what fabulous lyrics! viz. "and they drink fancy tea by the pail etc. etc" A great tune too. Love it.

Hello Charlie by the way.


31 Dec 03 - 02:03 PM (#1083320)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Rex

Our own Art Theme does a fine job with this song on his "That's the Ticket" album. I might mention that I think Mark Gardner and I do the song justice on our cd too, Frontier Favorites:
thread.cfm?threadid=61498&messages=15
We do the "Yo ho" on the chorus. We also found an original manuscript by Rogers in the Denver Public Library. He's from these parts you know. One line there was "But Lord, they're all _fluffles_ and beadin',". So that's how we do it.

Rex


31 Dec 03 - 07:04 PM (#1083531)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Stilly River Sage

I grew up with the Ed McCurdy recording--and in my travels around the country (from park job to park job) I always kept a box of cassettes of folksongs in the front seat. Dad recorded them all for me. Singing along is a great way to stay alert while you're driving, and that is a wonderful road song.

SRS


31 Dec 03 - 09:24 PM (#1083603)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Jerry Rasmussen

When I was a kid, we sang a song in school about the Sante Fe trail, totally different than this. It was very slow, and in a minor key. All I remember was singing,

"Plod along, plod on the Sante Fe Trail
Plod along, plod on the Sante Fe Trail"

It may be the most descriptive, authentic, un-romantic line ever to be written in folk music.. :-)

Jerry


01 Jan 04 - 02:08 AM (#1083724)
Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: ALONG THE SANTA FE TRAIL
From: toadfrog

Not much to my taste, but here it is.

ALONG THE SANTA FE TRAIL (key of C)
by Cubin/Coolidge/Grosz
As sung by Jimmy Wakley

[C] Angels -- come to paint the desert [A-] nightly
When the moon is gleaming [F] brightly [F-]
Along the [F]Santa [G7] Fe [C] Trail
Stardust - scattered all along the [A-] highway
On a rainbow colored [F] skyway [F-]
Along the [F] Santa [G7] Fe [C] Trail

Be - [F] side you - I'm riding [F-] every hill and dale
While shadows [C] hide you - just like a [D7] pretty purple veil
G7] Thereby hangs a tail.

I've [C] found you - and the mountains that sur- [A-] round you
Are the walls I built a - [F] round you [F-]
Along the [F] Santa [G7] Fe [C] Trail

Be - [F] side you - I'm riding [F-] every hill and dale
While shadows [C] hide you - just like a [D7] pretty purple veil
[G7] Thereby hangs a tail.

I've [C] found you - and the mountains that sur- [A-] round you
Are the walls I built a - [F] round you [F-]
Along the [F] Santa [G7] Fe [C] Trail


01 Jan 04 - 09:39 AM (#1083834)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: The O'Meara

There's a song called "Along the Santa Fe Trail" done by the Sons of the Pioneers, I think from an old Roy Rogers western, that is very pretty and has stayed with me since I first heard it. The only line I can remember now is
"Well what do you know, it's mornin' already
Just look at the sun comin' over the hill..."

Beautiful melody!

O'Meara


03 Feb 04 - 08:48 PM (#1108702)
Subject: Lyr Add: SANTA FE TRAIL (Powder River Jack Lee)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Lyr. Add: The Santa Fe Trail
(Powder River Jack Lee Version)

Say, Pard! Have yuh sighted a schooner, way out on the Santa Fe Trail,
They made it by Monday or sooner, with a water keg tied on the tail;
There was Pappy and Maw on the mule-seat, and somewhere along by the way
A little tow-headed gal on a pinto, jest a-dangling fer old Santa Fe.

Chorus
YO-HO-HO, YO-HO-O-HO
Way out on the Santa Fe Trail.

I saw her ride down the arroyo, 'way out on the Arkansas sand,
With a smile like an acre of sunflowers, and a little brown quirt in her hand;
She mounted her pinto so airy, and rode like she carried the mail,
And her eyes nigh set fire to the prairie, 'way out on the Santa Fe Trail.

I know a gal down by the border, I would ride tuh El Paso to sight,
Got acquainted with her shippin' cattle, and I sometimes kiss some gals goodnight.
But Lord, they're all fruffles and *sweetin', and afternoon tea by the pail,
But I'll stick to me sorter *Sam beatin', way out on the Santa Fe Trail.

We mebbe'll make Tooner by sundown, when yore huntin' some gal it's some way,
And 'tis shorter from Hell to Hilary than it is on the old Santa Fe.
And if we make Tooner by sundown, where a tank may be made in the swale,
I will ride with my gal on a pinto, way out on the Santa Fe Trail.

*sweetin' - candy. Sam beatin' - liquor.

Note by Lee- "The Yo-Ho-Ho-ing, etc., on the range, was like the wailing that we sung to the cattle, and the punchers were not averse to letting their voices out in lusty tones that would sometimes echo for miles. The wailing chorus is sung to air same as verse.

With sheet music, p. 18-19, "Cowboy Songs," 1938, Powder River Jack H. Lee, Deer Lodge, Montana, printed by The McKee Printing Company, Butte, Montana.
Rogers didn't ever make a big to-do over all the 'cowboy' singers who stole his songs, but he should have sued Lee for this really bad 'remake'.

Th first paragraph of Lee's Introduction to his "Cowboy Songs" deserves reading- take a deep breath:

"In giving you some of my cowboy songs for publication I wish to say first hand that you will find both the words and music as near correct as it has been possible for us to preserve the original themes and altho it is true that there has always been various versions of American folk songs, the same does not apply so much to cowboy songs as to permit a general revising of the melodies and words which has been done in a way since the advent of radio that not only changes the meaning, but also tends to obliterate from the public mind of today, the fact that there was a general sameness to the airs or melody,
and to the authentic songs of the western rangeland of the days when the great trail herds were being driven north from Texas to the markets of the north and to the feeding grounds of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, the Dakotas and other states where the cattle were fattened before they were driven to the shipping points." End sentence and paragraph.


10 Jun 04 - 10:10 AM (#1204304)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: GUEST,Doc LeVeque

The lyrics offered by Toadfrog (02-04-04) present somewhat of a mystery. This song was recorded in the 1940's by the Glenn Miller orchestra. The melody is rather plaintive, but the lyrics pose several questions; I believe it to be otherworldly.   

"Angels come to paint the desert nightly
when the moon is beaming brightly
along the Santa Fe Trail

Stardust scattered all along the highway
on a rainbow colored skyway
along the Santa Fe Trail

Beside you I'm riding every hill and dale
while shadows hide you just like a pretty purple veil
thereby hangs a tale

I've found you, and the mountains that surround you
are the walls I built around you
along the Santa Fe Trail"

"Angels", "shadows that hide you", "a tale", "walls I built around you"............this all bespeaks (at least to me) that the composer(s), Cubin/Coolidge/Groscz, had something more in mind than yet another 1940's ballad. N'est ce pas?


11 Jun 04 - 12:54 AM (#1204855)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Sandy Paton

O'Meara's couple of lines (above)seem to me to be from a song I heard but failed to learn many years ago, "Along the Navajo Trail." Anyone know the rest of it?
    Sandy


11 Jun 04 - 01:25 AM (#1204870)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Along the Navaho Trail
From: GUEST,Loretta

Hey there all of you lovers of cowboy songs! I am looking for the lyrics of "Along the Navaho Trail" I thank you in advance.


27 Jan 05 - 10:38 PM (#1390860)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: GUEST,mhoppes@mchsi.com

Jerry, I remember that song too:

Plod along, plod along the Santa Fe Trail.
Plod along, plod along the Santa Fe Trail.

Oh, the desert sun is bold.
And the desert nights are cold.

On we plod through choking sand,
Cactus, sage on either hand,
Through the bare and burning land.
Oh, the desert stretches wide,
And the Indians watch us ride!

Such a cheerful little song for second graders. I remember the tune too--I have sung this to friends to demonstrate the delights of my Catholic School childhood.


27 Jan 05 - 11:00 PM (#1390872)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

"Along the Navajo Trail," Andrews-Crosby version, and others, in thread 18051: Navajo Trail


28 Jan 05 - 12:24 AM (#1390924)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: DonMeixner

I like Art's version of this song. I found it in my copy of Jules Allen's book of songs and cowboy lore.

Don


28 Jan 05 - 01:08 AM (#1390949)
Subject: Lyr Add: ALONG SIDE THE SANTA FE TRAIL
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Might 's well have Jules Allens' version of the James Grafton Rogers classic here.

Lyr. Add: ALONG SIDE THE SANTA FE TRAIL

Say pard have you *sited a schooner
Long side of the Santa Fe trail?
They made it here Monday or sooner
They had a water keg tied on the tail.
There was daddy and ma on the mule seat;
and somewhere along the way
was a tow headed gal on a Pinto
just a janglin for old Santa Fe.

Yo-ho, ho, oh, oh,
just a janglin for old Santa Fe.

I seen her ride down the Arroya
Way back on the Arkansas sands;
She had a smile like an acre of Sunflowers
And a quirt in her little brown hand.
She mounted her Pinto so airy,
She rode like she carried the mail,
And her eyes ne'er set fire to the prairie
Long side of the Santa Fe trail.
Yoho-ho, oh, oh long side of the Santa Fe trail.

I know a gal down on the border
That I'd ride to El Paso to site.
I'm acquainted with the high-flyin' orders
And I some times kiss some gals good-night.
But lord they're all fluffles and beaden
And drink afternoon tea by the pail,
I'm not used to that sort of stampedin',
Long side of the Santa Fe trail.

Now I don't know her name on the prairie,
For when you're huntin' one gal it's some wide.
And it's shorter from hell to Helarie
Then it is on that Santa Fe ride.
So I'll try to make Plumbers, by sundown
Where a camp can be made in the swale,
Then I'll come on that gal with her Pinto
She'll be camped by the Santa Fe trail.
Yoho-ho, oh, oh she'll be camped by the Santa Fe trail.

Jules Verne Allen, "Cowboy Lore, pp. 138-140, with music. *Spelling and punctuation preserved.
The Naylor Company, San Antonio, Texas, 1935 (Copy from the library of the Lazy Bar I-C Ranch, Pecos County, Texas).


22 Mar 07 - 01:53 AM (#2003793)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Artful Codger

Minor corrections:
The "Along the Santa Fe Trail" was written by Al Dubin (not Cubin); incidentally, Grosz and Coolidge are Will Grosz and Edwina Coolidge.

And it was sung by Jimmy Wakely (not Wakley).


24 Mar 10 - 09:58 AM (#2870737)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: olddude

One of the great songs ever I think, I have not heard anyone play it as well or with such feeling as Art Thieme. I sure wish more people would play this song and put it in their set ...

What a wonderful song do ya think


24 Mar 10 - 12:09 PM (#2870824)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: DonMeixner

I always have it in my set list.

Don


24 Mar 10 - 12:57 PM (#2870862)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: olddude

I would love to hear your version Don
I bet it is superb

Dan


24 Mar 10 - 01:19 PM (#2870878)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: DonMeixner

Thanks, I think it's pretty OK.

Don


04 May 11 - 05:03 PM (#3147987)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: MGM·Lion

It's on my Youtube channel

http://www.youtube.com/


04 May 11 - 05:16 PM (#3148001)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: MGM·Lion

Sorry - that's

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


04 May 11 - 09:51 PM (#3148160)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Ross Campbell

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


04 May 11 - 10:35 PM (#3148199)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: MGM·Lion

Thank you, Ross. I never can get these clickies to work for me.

Nobody's perfect!

~M~


05 May 11 - 12:08 AM (#3148238)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Artful Codger

Try the "Make a link" link (right below the message entry box). It's designed specifically for those who "can never get these clickies to work".


05 May 11 - 12:37 AM (#3148252)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: MGM·Lion

I keep doing so Codger ~ but for some reason the copy always disappears as I go from stage to stage. I have concluded that the app just plain doesn't like me.

But thanks for your help.

~Michael~


05 May 11 - 03:30 AM (#3148314)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Artful Codger

Then try the easy way:
<a href="your URL here">clicky text</a>

"a", if you're wondering, stands for "anchor"; the same tag is used to define anchor points in a page that you can later link to. Whether I've used the "Make a link" feature or the explicit encoding, I've never had the links disappear--unless the entire post did! Curious behavior...


05 May 11 - 10:40 PM (#3148964)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: olddude

very nice Ross thank you for sharing


07 May 14 - 11:43 AM (#3624655)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Amos

Ed McCurdy's fine rendition of this dusty tale can be found by clicking this.

A


07 May 14 - 12:15 PM (#3624670)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Has anyone found the original sheet music by Rogers (1911) with music by J. H. Gower, on the net?
Comet Publishing Co., Denver.


08 May 14 - 04:21 AM (#3624866)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Jack Blandiver

Ever sang this slow? I did it once as an ultra-slow waltz and couldn't get through it for blubbing.


10 May 14 - 12:47 AM (#3625159)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Joe Offer

refresh, compensating for our downtime


17 Nov 15 - 06:29 PM (#3751707)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: GUEST,BuffaloBob159

I found the discussion about the "other worldly" intentions of Al Durbin (he wrote the lyrics of "Santa Fe Trail" while Will G. actually wrote the tune. Edwina was given credit for personal reasons) to be fascinating since I've always wondered about the dopey lyrics to a beautiful tune.

Anyone else found anything?


18 Nov 15 - 12:47 AM (#3751761)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Mark Ross

My favorite version of this was by the late Glenn Ohrlin.

Mark Ross


18 Nov 15 - 01:32 AM (#3751765)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Santa Fe Trail
From: Stilly River Sage

My favorite is by Ed McCurdy: Along Side the Santa Fe Trail.

McCurdy's version scans better than the first set of lyrics posted. I wonder if that first set is transcribed?