29 Jan 07 - 04:45 PM (#1951590) Subject: Best Western Song From: Slag Weel, OK. We have the Tearjerker Thread and we have the Country Thread. Since C&W seem to hav gone their separate ways and W is lagging far behind, what is your favorite Western song? Marty Robbins' "El Paso" comes readily to mind and old historical songs like "The Streets of Laredo" sans artist put me in a Western mindset. Others? |
29 Jan 07 - 04:47 PM (#1951592) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Jean(eanjay) The Streets of Laredo and Liberty Valance. |
29 Jan 07 - 04:48 PM (#1951593) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GUEST,MarkS Some of the ones I do (whenever I get a set these days) are Windy Bill - Great for dropping cowboy slang and lingo into the verse South Coast - Maybe more Spanish than cowboy - but western nonetheless. Mark |
29 Jan 07 - 04:50 PM (#1951598) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: kendall A Bad Half Hour by Tom Russell. |
29 Jan 07 - 05:13 PM (#1951626) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Herga Kitty Over here in England, Best Western is a hotel chain - including the Angel Hotel, Chippenham, which is used as a venue for the Chippenham folk festival, and where I introduced various singers including Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham, Danny Spooner, Brian Peters and His Worship and the Pig, last May.... John Warner's Bring out the banners went down very well! Kitty |
29 Jan 07 - 05:17 PM (#1951629) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GUEST,Scoville at scanner It's a hotel chain in the U.S., too. "Billy Gray" by Norman Blake, "Buffalo Skinners", and that oddball 1930's cowboy version of "Barbara Allan" by . . . I forget whom. I suppose my old sentimental favorite would be the New Golden Ring version of "Jesse James". |
29 Jan 07 - 05:40 PM (#1951661) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Midchuck Tom Russell's "Tonight We Ride," on "Indians Cowboys Horses Dogs." Close second: "Double Diamond II" (Which hardly anyone has ever heard.) Close thirds: The Old Double Diamond Darcy Farrow Billy Gray Sierry Petes, a/k/a Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail. More as they come to me. Peter. |
29 Jan 07 - 07:34 PM (#1951819) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GUEST,Gerry Art Thieme recorded a cowboy version of Barbara Allen - maybe this is what Scoville at scanner is referring to, a few posts up. AT also recorded Billy Venero, which would be on my list of favorite Western songs. I'll second Buffalo Skinners. Utah Phillips, The Goodnight-Loving Trail. Kate Wolf's recording of Weaverville. Austin Lounge Lizards' Pflugerville, or Golden Triangle. |
29 Jan 07 - 08:04 PM (#1951844) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: pdq Is it better than the Holliday Inn theme song? |
29 Jan 07 - 09:07 PM (#1951877) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: frogprince No way I can get it down to one. Going way back, Strawberry Roan and Zebra Dunn are high on my list.(Hence THIS). As to modern stuff, I'll second The Goodnight-Loving Trail, and throw in Corn, Water, and Wood as sung by Ann Hill, Cindy Mangsen, and Patricia Herdman. Dean |
29 Jan 07 - 09:17 PM (#1951880) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Uncle Phil I Ride an Old Paint - Phil |
29 Jan 07 - 09:18 PM (#1951881) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Scoville Oh, I forgot "Diamond Joe" (the one with the weird verse about the diamond-studded jaw that I put up for debate a few months ago). Reminds me of one of my old bosses. |
29 Jan 07 - 09:23 PM (#1951885) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Arkie Of the older ones, "When The Work's All Done This Fall" and "Brown-eyed Lee". Of the newer western songs, "Sonora's Death Row". |
29 Jan 07 - 09:37 PM (#1951894) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Ferrara Zebra Dun Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail When The Work's All Done This Fall The Gol-durned Wheel For a modern western, song, Ian Tyson's "M.C. Horses" has stayed with me a long time since I heard him sing it at the Birchmere in northern Virginia. M.C. Horses by IAN TYSON
We were having a drink at Stockman's,
Yeah, the people they come from everywhere
Chorus:
So come on boy, run 'em in. We're gonna let this sale begin.
So the M.C. crew they rode 'em all
If you ever have beer at the Aydell Store
Repeat Chorus
We were having a drink at Stockman's |
29 Jan 07 - 09:56 PM (#1951911) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GUEST,Jeff That's PRISCILLA Herdman, I believe. My favorite 'western' song is "Night Rider's Lament" by Mike Burton. It's been covered quite a bit. Jerry Jeff Walker has a rather underwhelming version, but singer/songwriter Alex Bevan from Cleveland, OH has a GREAT version if you can find it. Alex, also wrote a song called "Rodeo Rider" which was similar in theme and they were both in waltz time. RR can be found on an old LP called "Springboard"...again, if you can find it. Sorry, a little thread drift. |
29 Jan 07 - 10:04 PM (#1951914) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: pastorpest My favorite western songs are by Bob Nolan: "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Cool Water." |
29 Jan 07 - 10:25 PM (#1951928) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Rabbi-Sol "Sweet Wyoming Home" by Bill Staines SOL |
29 Jan 07 - 10:28 PM (#1951932) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Metchosin First pick for me would be Cowpoke by Don Walser. Then, perhaps Cool Water.....although there could prove a toss up with Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail and Ghost Riders In the Sky, in my mind. |
29 Jan 07 - 10:42 PM (#1951948) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GUEST,Open Mike i would give a second vote to Night Rider's Lament...definately! |
29 Jan 07 - 10:43 PM (#1951950) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: SouthernCelt You pegged it Ferrara, M.C. Horses has to be my all-time favorite western song, though it is modern. The Old Double Diamond is right up there with it and is actually easier to do (and sounds better) for soloing on guitar. M.C. Horses sounds best when Tyson has his fiddle player involved. Though I'm repeating from some above, other really good ones are Old Paint (or Leavin' Cheyenne as it's sometimes called), Windy Bill, Darcy Farrow, Murder Steer (another Ian Tyson song), Whoopee Ti Yi Yo, Night Rider's Lament, and Home on the Range (when it's done almost like a hymn the way Tyson did it). Another one I like because of the movie it's in (Rio Bravo) is My Pony, My Rifle and Me. Come to think of it...I'm such a big Ian Tyson fan that everything western he does is good. SC |
29 Jan 07 - 10:49 PM (#1951951) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Francy Bad Half Hour by Charles badger Clark...melody by Tom russell Ol Double Diamond......Ian Tyson Dobie Bill (The Killer)...traditional Night Rider's Lament....M. Burton Buffalo Skinners....traditional Long Road West.....H>H> Knibbs...melody by Don Edwards Streets of Lsredo....traditional Frisco Jeans & Old Camp Bustin' Shirt.....Bobby Bare Frank of Toledo |
29 Jan 07 - 10:52 PM (#1951952) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: number 6 I'M AN OLD COWHAND "I'm an old cowhand and I come down from the Rio Grande And I learned to ride, ride, ride 'fore I learned to stand I'm a riding fool who is up to date I know every trail in the Lone Star State Cause I ride the range in a Ford V-8 Yippie yi yo kayah" My favourite to add to this thread is "Pancho and Lefty" by Townes Van Zandt .... I guess this would be classified as a country song. I'm been on a TV Zandt kick lately. biLL |
30 Jan 07 - 01:54 AM (#1952022) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GUEST,musicmic I just love cowboy songs. Most of my favorites (Tyin' A Knot, Goodnight Loving Trail, Tumblin' Tumbleweeds) have been mentioned but I can think of a few more favorites. I think that Willie Nelson's "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies..." is as powerful and believable as Marty Robbins' "El Paso" or Jimmy Driftwood's folksy "Tennesee Stud" I think that I prefer the written "art" songs to the rougher folk songs. Even art songs can go into common culture. "Home On The Range" is so beautiful that I went out and learned the other verses. Oh, and don't forget the haunting melody of "Green Grow The Lilacs". Mike |
30 Jan 07 - 02:02 AM (#1952026) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Francy "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" was written by Ed & Patty Bruce.............. Frank of Toledo |
30 Jan 07 - 02:47 AM (#1952053) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Gene Billy Walker's 'Patanio, Pride Of The Plains' and Rex Allen's 'Moonshine Steer' Marty Robbin's 'Mr. Shorty' Eddy Arnold's 'Cowpoke' about the best version i ever heard, BAR-NONE! as much as i do like Don Walser. and any one of 2 dozen Sons Of The Pioneers songs... |
30 Jan 07 - 02:52 AM (#1952057) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GRex I have the Goodnight-Loving Trail among my favourites, also Cool Water as sung the Sons of the Pioneers. GRex |
30 Jan 07 - 05:16 AM (#1952136) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Jean(eanjay) As well as the 2 I mentioned before there are others that have also been mentioned that are definitely among my favourites. There is also High Noon. |
30 Jan 07 - 05:46 AM (#1952151) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Scrump "The Sheriff of Midsomer Norton" by Adge Cutler is my favourite western song. |
30 Jan 07 - 06:40 AM (#1952180) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Keith A of Hertford Alongside Of The Santa Fe Trail. thread.cfm?threadid=17944#1390949 |
30 Jan 07 - 08:18 AM (#1952268) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: kendall Fast gun getting slow by Dave Mallett |
30 Jan 07 - 11:09 AM (#1952463) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Scrump How about "The Call Of The West" by The Wurzels? |
30 Jan 07 - 11:22 AM (#1952481) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Cluin "Song of Wyoming" by John Denver. |
30 Jan 07 - 12:35 PM (#1952579) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: 14fret The Last Gunfighter Ballad. Guy Clark. |
30 Jan 07 - 12:44 PM (#1952597) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GUEST,cowpoke Ringo by Lorne Greene |
30 Jan 07 - 12:54 PM (#1952607) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Scrump "Whopper of the West" by Shag Connors and the Carrot Crunchers is another great western song. |
30 Jan 07 - 01:18 PM (#1952649) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Steve-o "Ridin' Down the Canyon", the great Gene Autry- unquestionably. |
30 Jan 07 - 02:18 PM (#1952712) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: frogprince "Ridin' Down the Canyon" is a legit choice, for sure, but I couldn't pick between it and "Back in the Saddle Again", "Tumbling Tumbleweed", or a bunch of others from Gene. |
30 Jan 07 - 04:20 PM (#1952847) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GUEST,Bernie My favourites are the ones that pay homage to the landscape of the American west,some of which have already been mentioned....if I had to pick one,I couldn't......if I could pick three,they'd probably be: 3. Song of the Trail [Stan Jones] 2. Everlasting hills of Oklahoma [Tim Spencer] 1. Man Walks among us [Marty Robbins] I visited Arizona for the first time recently,was deeply moved by the desert,mountains,vegetation,etc....I begin to understand why Bob Nolan and so many others were moved to portray that country in almost mystical terms....I thought of Marty Robbins[Arizona born] and the song mentioned above,which was an "environmental" warning of sorts,far head of it's time....he and Bob Nolan recorded it on Nolan's one and only solo recording in 1979,shortly before they both left us........ |
30 Jan 07 - 04:28 PM (#1952852) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GUEST,musicmic I, too, am a Gene Autry fan. His movies were, really, musicals with a few gunshots and chases thrown in to keep us kids happy. Roy Rogers movies were as musical as Gene's but Roy tended to sing all newly written material and Gene, often, included a traditional song or two. |
30 Jan 07 - 07:47 PM (#1953006) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Charley Noble There's a lot of good favorites mentioned here but not: "Lavender Cowboy" "I Can't Get Off of My Horse" "The Ballad of the Cowpuncher" "The Tenderfoot" "The Wild West Show" Yippy-ty-yi-yah, Charley Nolbe |
30 Jan 07 - 11:45 PM (#1953134) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GUEST "Blue Shadows on the Trail" as done by the Sons of the Pioneers. |
31 Jan 07 - 12:23 AM (#1953150) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Amergin Tom Russell's They Sky Above, The Mud Below Slim Dusty's All My Mates Are Gone and Leave Him in The Longyard |
31 Jan 07 - 12:50 AM (#1953161) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Ferrara "Cool Water" "Riders in the Sky" "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" "Along the Navajo Trail" These are all songs I learned as a kid (we had them on 78's) and I still love them. Also -- this is a song sung by Roy Rogers, that I loved and haven't been able to find, but I sure can't say it is a great western song -- "My Chickashay Gal": "Left my Gal in Chickashay, Left that gal and went away; There's a slick chick a-waitin' in my Chickashay home, And from my Chickashay gal I'm gonna never more roam." :-) Another favorite was Gene Autry singing "Sioux City Sue." ... Just decided to look up the spelling of Chickashay and I learned that "My Chickashay Gal" was the title of a movie in 1945. We didn't see that one. We did see "The Strawberry Roan" starring Gene Autry. Also learned that "My Chickashay Girl" is on a CD titled "Historic Country & Western: 50 Nostalgic Memories From a Bygone Era." And, I was reminded of another favorite: Dale Evans singing "Silver on the Sage." We had that record too. Rita F |
31 Jan 07 - 02:39 PM (#1953771) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: GUEST,leeneia How about Rose of San Antone and Red River Valley? |
01 Feb 07 - 03:46 AM (#1954288) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Lonesome EJ Welp, my two favorites are "Spanish is a Loving Tongue" and "Sonora's Death Row". And, of course, Frank Zappa's "Moving to Montana". |
01 Feb 07 - 03:18 PM (#1954870) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: frogprince Somethin' just made me think of "Colorado Trail"; sweet, sweet melody. |
01 Feb 07 - 04:12 PM (#1954930) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Songster Bob Diamond Joe (with the other 'Diamond Joe' chorus tacked on) Border Affair (Spanish Is the Loving Tongue) California Joe (Jim Ringer) Old Bill Pickett (learned from Jim Ringer; can't recall writer's name) When the Work's All Done This Fall (trad.) Telling Takes Me Home (U. Utah Phillips) Cowboy's Life (one of mine, but it's one of my favorites) Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail (I wrote a chorus, just for fun) Windy Bill (with nothing tacked on) Gol-durn Wheel (gotta learn this 'un someday) Chisolm Trail (trad.) And any number of others that don't come to mind so readily. Bob Clayton |
01 Feb 07 - 04:47 PM (#1954971) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Midchuck Someday I will learn all of The Castration of the Strawberry Roan. (It's in the DT if anyone thinks I made it up. It's not as bad as the title sounds. It's worse.) Peter. |
02 Feb 07 - 08:37 AM (#1955506) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: SouthernCelt "It's not as bad as the title sounds. It's worse." Have to agree, Peter. I didn't realize Baxter Black got quite so "adult" with his poetry. Most that I've read was G-rated. SC |
02 Feb 07 - 09:13 AM (#1955552) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Midchuck I have a book, The Whorehouse Bells Were Ringing, and Other Songs Cowboys Sing. From one of the university presses. Full of songs like that. You didn't really think that real cowboys, out on the trail, weeks away from seeing a woman and months away from seeing a "decent" woman, would actually sing only "clean" songs? Or have you seen too many Gene Autry and Roy Rogers movies at an impressionable age? Peter. |
02 Feb 07 - 10:12 AM (#1955594) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Songster Bob As requested: VERSE 1 I was hangin 'round town In a house of ill fame Laid up with a twist Of a hustlin' dame When a hop-headed kid With his nose full of coke Beat me out'a my whore An' left me stony-broke When up steps a stranger Said he say, my lad Are you any good ridin' Horses that's bad I said, you're damn right That's one thing I can do I'm a second rate pimp But a good buckeroo CHORUS O, that strawberry roan How many colts has he thrown He's got ghonarrhea, the glanders an' syph The blue-balls n' clap, But his tool is still stiff Look out for that strawberry roan VERSE 2 When a good lookin' filly Would come into heat Was the strawberry roan That slipped her the meat The upshot of it was I found myself hired To snap out some broncs This roan stud had sired They're knot-head cayuses Just like their Dad Most of them roans An' all of them bad With their feet in my pockets Them bastards would fight Till my ass drug my tracks Along before night VERSE 3 With my balls in my boots 'N my mouth full of shit I'se plumb tuckered out 'N ready to quit Whenever I thought I had one of them rode He busted my ass An' I found myself throwed Then the boss come around He said, that's enough The strawberry roan's Colts are to tough I'm a gettin' damn sick Of you takin' them falls We'll get that windmillin' stud An' we'll cut out his balls CHORUS O, that strawberry roan We went out to unbend his bone I built a big loop 'N went to the corral I roped his front feet He jumped, he kicked He snorted, he farted 'n fell I flattened that strawberry roan VERSE 4 Well, the boss held his head While I hog-tied his legs I got out my knife 'N I went for his eggs He knowed what I wanted He knowed it damn well Cause he fought like a tiger An' he squealed just like hell VERSE 5 Well, I opened his bag 'N he let out a moan He squealed like a shoat When I cut out that stone But all I could locate Was one of his nuts The other was swimmin' Some place in his guts Well, I'm swimmin' in blood When I felt somethin' pass But it's only a turd On the way to his ass VERSE 7 Well, the boss said, I'm sick Of this hard buckin' breed If it takes us all night We'll get that other seed Just then I heard one of them Blood curdlein' squalls 'Cause the strawberry roan Had the boss by the balls Well, I stomped on his head But it was no use He's just like a bulldog He wouldn't turn loose I untied his legs And he got to his feet The boss's voice changed An' I knew he was beat CHORUS O, that strawberry roan I advise you to leave him alone He's a knot-headed cayuse With only one ball But the boss is a eunuch With no balls at all Look out fer that strawberry roan from http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/0733/index.html Some of the stanzas are odd in length, and one chorus has an extra line, it seems, but hey, it's folk music. When the Sons of the Pioneers had a 78 of the "other" Strawberry Roan out, a folklorist asked for it at the store, and the clerk looked sheepish and gave him a copy of this song (don't know who the singer was). So there probably is a studio recording somewhere, as opposed to a field recording, of this song, from the 30s. Bob Clayton |
02 Feb 07 - 10:31 AM (#1955617) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Scrump The Deadwood Stage? ...I'll get me coat. |
02 Feb 07 - 01:43 PM (#1955823) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: Lonesome EJ Well, I may have a new favorite after reading Strawberry Roan. LOL! |
02 Feb 07 - 04:26 PM (#1955970) Subject: RE: Best Western Song From: sapper82 Thought this was going to be about the Hotel chain! |