Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool

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Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song

31 Dec 01 - 11:52 AM (#619024)
Subject: LYR ADD: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: katlaughing

This comes from my dad, Sparky Hudson, who included it on the tape he did last year which I sent out to a few of you. He has never run into anyone else who knows it.

The story goes, his dad learned it from the old gunfighter who also taught him how to shoot. The old gunfighter ran with Billy the Kid and a few others and had been all over New Mexico and elsewhere. A bunch of cowboys are said to have written the tune and the lyrics. My dad saw the gunfighter just once and, though he knew his dad was good, the gunfighter, his teacher, was "slick" as dad put it, which is mighty high praise coming from him.

Zuni Mountain Pool

I am a Texas cowboy
Right from the Texas Range
My trade is cinching saddles and pulling bridle reins
Though I am a youngster, yet,
I claim I am no fool.
I've had three year's experience
With the Zuni Mountain Pool

The top hand of this outfit
Was a Mexican from the South
The only bad fault that he had
Was shooting off his mouth.
One night when he was drinking
He shot it off too much
And got his throat cut in a knife fight
With a cowboy we call "Ducth."

A cook for this here outfit
Juan Ramos was his name
He didn't speak good English
But he got here just the same.
While he was making bicuits
You bet he took things cool
A'cooking for this outfit,
The Zuni Mountain Pool.

There was a kid in the outfit
The boys all called him "Mice."
Not that he was Chinese
Or ever had "et" mice.
One day while pouring syrup
From a keg into a bowl
From the keg into the dish
Three big, fat mice did roll!

There was a town called "Coolidge"
Eight miles from Big Divide
Of a summer evening,
To Coolidge we would ride
And there tank up on rotgut
'til the all of us was full
And there we spent our forty a month
From the Zuni Mountain Pool.

Note: Dad says Coolidge was really nine miles and it was named after a local guy long before there was a President Coolidge. Also, there are more verses, these are just the ones he can remember.

Thanks,

kat

31 Dec 01 - 12:00 PM (#619027)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: Amos

Dang. Do we have a choon? I like the words. Great tale!!

31 Dec 01 - 01:38 PM (#619075)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Coolidge is near the southwestern end of the Gila River Reservation and close to the Casa Grande Nat. Monument, about half way between Phoenix and Tucson. The Zuñi Reservation is a long ways off to the northeast, but that doesn't mean there isn't a Zuñi well near to Coolidge. An example is the town of Aztec in northern New Mexico, a hell of a long way from the Valley of Mexico.

31 Dec 01 - 02:00 PM (#619086)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Should have written Mt., not well. I presume your father was talking about a livestock pool.

10 Mar 03 - 12:08 PM (#906610)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: katlaughing

Yes, Dicho, it was a livestock pool. Sorry, should have said.

Amos, I've just had dad sing this to me and realise it is one of the favourites we kids always begged him to sing. I've got the tune in my heart, so will see what I can do about getting it added to my webpage or something.

Anyone else ever heard of it and/or know more verses?

Thanks!

10 Mar 03 - 12:13 PM (#906616)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: katlaughing

Please note: I made a correction in the above lyrics as I'd missed a line which makes the first verse scan right! Sorry!

Also, dad says there were bigger cow outfits who would "pool" together and hire a bunch of cowboys to work together.

10 Mar 03 - 12:32 PM (#906631)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: GUEST,Q

I think it should be bridle, not bridal, reins in 1st verse, line 3.

10 Mar 03 - 12:47 PM (#906649)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: katlaughing

Thanks! That's what I get for typing in fast! Though it does have the sound of a good parody, eh?

I am a Texas cowgirl
Right from the Texas Range.
My trade is cinching cowboys and trailing bridal veils
Though I am still young yet
I claim I am no fool
I've had me husbands three and four
From the Zuni Mountain Pool!

10 Mar 03 - 12:52 PM (#906656)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: Amos

Gee, kat -- ya wanna be careful about givin' away them there trade secrets!! LOL!!

A

11 Mar 03 - 09:26 PM (#907868)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: Art Thieme

Fine one Kat. Your dad is a treasure house.

Art

11 Mar 03 - 10:33 PM (#907894)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: Alice

sp. Dutch and biscuits

Good song, kat.

Alice

11 Mar 03 - 11:06 PM (#907914)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zuni Mountain Pool - old cowboy song
From: katlaughing

Thanks, Art. I am talking to him at least 2-3 times per week. He's definitely slowing down some and we are both feeling a kind of anxiousness to share as much as possible while he is still here. had a wonderful frank discussion about that the other night.

Alice, thanks! I'd missed those...when will I ever ~~proffreid~~ prooofread?:-)

Oh, duh, BTW folks, by my own admission in the first posting, I HAVE the tune to this on my dad's tape, SO I promise to make it available asap. (Talk about dickie memory?!)

Thanks,

kat