Lyr Add: Driftin' Cowboy

15 Nov 00 - 12:35 AM (#340910)
Subject: Lyr Add: DRIFTIN' COWBOY (Critchlow/Guthrie/Trad)
From: Stewie

Here's a song written by Slim Critchlow. He uses the 'Billy the Kid' variant tune that Woody Guthrie used for 'So Long, It's Been Good to Know You', and also Guthrie's chorus. I transcribed this from the Arhoolie CD and would appreciate any corrections of proper names and mishearings.

DRIFTIN' COWBOY
(Critchlow/Guthrie/Traditional)

I'm a driftin' cowpuncher just ridin' along
I'll stop here a while and sing you this song
About some of the places I've been in my time
And a lot of good fellers I've left far behind

Sayin' so long it's been good to know you
So long it's been good to know you
So long it's been good to know you
What a long time since I've been home
And I've got to be driftin' along

Ah back in the year of 1903
I rode for Jim Mortons down on the Barzee (?)
I herded his cattle for five years or so
Then me foot started itchin' and I had to go

Told him so long it's …

So I rode down to Phoenix and stayed for a while
Till one day a feller stepped up with a smile
Says, howdy stranger, would you like a job
A-herdin' some woodies out on the Mohob (?)

I said so long it's …

Then I tried my luck huntin' for the Dutchman's lost gold
In the old Superstitions of which I'd been told
But the 'paches were thick and they wanted my hair
So I saddled my cayuse and lit out from there

I got me a wintertime cow-feeding job
A-tailin' at Weeklins (?) for old Uncle Bob
I rode after cattle in rain, snow and hail
When spring hit the valley (?) then I hit the trail

Sayin' so long it's …

I landed in Utah with nary a cent
Got a job breakin' horses for Billy Clement
Then I wandered up north into Idaho
By fall I was back down in New Mexico

It was there the best friend that I ever had
Little Jim Jennings, a mighty good lad
Got shot in the gunfight in Lloydsburg one day
And these are the very last words he did say

Partner, so long it's …

Though my hair's getting grey and my bones kind of ache
There's many a long ride I'm still gonna take
I've seen lots of country as the years have gone by
And I'll keep on ridin' till the day that I die

Now I've told you of some of the troubles I've had
Of fellers I've met with, some good and some bad
But now that I've come to the end of my song
I guess it is high time I was ridin' along

So I'll say so long it's …

Source: transcription from Slim Critchlow 'The Crooked Trail to Holbrook' Arhoolie CD 479.
PS.

--Stewie.

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05 Dec 03 - 07:53 PM (#1066428)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Driftin' Cowboy
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Stewie, just got to this- a mite slow.
Barzee should be Bar Z
Lloydsburg should be Lordsburg, NM
Mohob should be Mohon (Mohon Peak area, AZ, south of a line between Kingman and Seligman). There would have been lots of 'woodies" there-perhaps still are.

Can't help with the others.

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05 Dec 03 - 07:59 PM (#1066434)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Driftin' Cowboy
From: Stewie

Q, thanks for the corrections.

--Stewie.

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06 Dec 03 - 12:40 AM (#1066547)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Driftin' Cowboy
From: open mike

or mohave desert--mohav?

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06 Dec 03 - 05:08 PM (#1066916)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Driftin' Cowboy
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

The Mohon Mountains area in Yavapai and Mohave Counties (forms the border between the counties in part) has range suitable for cattle because of the altitude-cover as well as grass. There are several oldtime ranches in the region. There are even some wetlands.

Never heard Mohave pronounced with two syllables, but I guess it could be.

The Mohave Desert definitely is not referred to, since it gets less than five inches of rainfall and is mostly unsuited to cattle. It is to the south and west of the Mohon region. The Mohon gets over fifteen inches of rainfall, including snow.

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