Random Observations

Heres Spring so far in Montana Stumpy......Looks like your ahead of us

That made alot of sense Stumpy, that idiot in PA. If your against anti gun bills, why give the idiots making the laws ammuntion to write more bills. Proves my theory that people are generally stupid. Which is why I stay in the hills, so I dont have to deal with the species.

Most of you probably wonder what i am doing in posting this. I wish to share with you and perhaps guide some of you to the icon of the modern western culture singers. I have listened to this mans songs all my life and he represents the real modern west. Of course like all good things he is gone, he passed away from cancer in 2005. His music led me back home when i was lost and far from home amongst the cities, oceans, and general caos. He is synonamous with the name Wyoming, every year at cheyenne frontier days they honor him. He wrote of western history, western life, rodeo, love, and all the things nashville could never understand (i have strong feeling against nashville's system). The lyrics below are from a couple of songs he recorded on the rodeo circuit. The first i feel is fitting as a good description of western progress, called pilgrims progress. The second was wrote based on real life events on the circuit. His music was real life and if you havent heard of him i strongly recommend him to you. Even though he has passed he still has alot to offer in his music. I have sat on shivering horses saving cold wet baby calves in 30 below weather, I have been kicked, stepped on, throwed and drug. Ive been throwed over horses heads, hit in the face by rearing horses on there way over, hung from there side with nothing but a spur hooked on a saddle horn and a saddle string in hand, broke horses and sometimes been broken. I have thrown well over a hundred calves at brandings in one day myself everyday every spring for several years, and placed the brand myself. I have seen first hand the suffering from droughts, and when i say his music is the west I mean it and have a good idea of what the west is.

Oh and did i mention he was the World Bareback Bronc Riding Champion in 1976, and rancher near Kaycee Wyoming the remainder of his too short life. He died at the age of 56, remained faithful to his one and only wife and had 5 children.



PILGRIMS PROGRESS
(Bob Campbell)
[SIZE=-1]« © '78 Lehsem Songs, BMI »[/SIZE]

There's ghost ridin' prairies whistlin' through the air
There's dreams on main street broken dead and bare
And a river and a mountain grow older with the sky
Lookin' for some friends like those from days gone by
While the cowboys and the Indians roll across the range
The poor Buffalo die for silver change
While the renegades and the wranglers
Drank up half town damn if some pilgrims
Didn't tear the Wild West down

Circlin' like a vulture ah they'd pick the land to bits
Tearin' out its heart forcin' it to quit
Like an old ancient rustler the west just died away
Strangled by progress that greedy beast a prey
While the renegades and the wranglers
Drank up half the town damn if some pilgrims
Didn't tear the Wild West down
While the cowboys...



JOHN ED SANG COWPOKE
(Chris Ledoux)
[SIZE=-1]« © '75 Lehsem Songs, BMI »[/SIZE]

When the rodeo was over, we're all go to the room
We're drink some beer relax awhile and sing some cowboy tunes
That old guitar we passed around it was battered scratched and broke
But Lord it sounded mighty fine when John Ed sang Cowpoke

Ben he think of some old tune and he really wail away
Dunder play the spoons and sing until the break of day
Clyde he tell a poem or two and old Rich he crack a joke
But damn it nearly make you cry when John Ed sang Cowpoke

Someday this road I travel Lord I will leave behind
But memories of the things I've seen will never leave my mind
On a quiet summers evening when the sun is sinking low
I'll think again of days gone by when John Ed sang Cowpoke


One More

JOHNSON COUNTY WAR
(Chris Ledoux)
[SIZE=-1]« © '89 Lehsem Songs, BMI »[/SIZE]

Headed for Wyoming in 1882 a woman a team and a wagon
Gonna make our dreams come true
Settled in the foothills of the Big Horn mountain slope
Life is sweet we lived on the meat of the deer and the antelope.
We cut house logs on the mountain with the team we hauled 'em down
Peeled 'em and we stacked 'em up for a house and bought some ground
Traded for some cattle and turned 'em out on the range
The skies were blue and we never knew how things were gonna change
Oh Powder River you're muddy and wide
How many men have died along your shores
When you brand a man a rustler he's gotta take a side
There's no middle ground in this Johnson Country War

Well the neighbors stopped by yesterday while I was outside choppin' some wood
And they filled me in on the local news ain't none of it sounded good
Said they'd been some cattle stealin' by some no count outlaw bands
We'd all been branded rustler's by the ranchers of this land
Well it was us against the cattlemen the years just made it worse
First the drought then the tough winter Johnson County had been dealt a curse
Then their came the story bout the two dry Gulch attacks
Ranger Jones and John Tisdale both been shot in the back
Oh Powder River...

Then last night at supper time a riders stopped by chance
They said cattleman and hired guns just burned the KC Ranch
Two men had died this mornin' shot down in the snow
Now the vigilante army was marchin' for Buffalo
Well the county was in an uproar and every man saddled up to ride
Caught the cattlemen at the TA Ranch and surrounded all four sides
We hailed the house with bullets swore they were going to pay
But the calvery came across the plains and once again saved the day
Well they marched them off to Cheyenne no one went to jail
Cattlemen we're all turned loose and the hired guns hit the trail
And I guess the only justice wasn't much to say the least
Last winter me and mine ate mighty fine on the cattle baron's beef
Oh Powder River...
There's no middle ground in this Johnson County War

Heres a few more youtube links. I wish I could let you all hear some of the stuff i have of Chris's. He had close to 30 albums out in his career most of which made in his own basement until he went to Nashville in the early 90's. Most of his early work is not well known and has its own unique sound that varies alot from much of the newer. I liked his later work, but his last 3 albums i could see alot of Nashville influence. All but one of his albums were reprinted in 1991, of which i have all of them on Cds, around 30. Anyone that is interested or listens to him but never heard some of his early stuff feel free to let me know and I can tell you what was out. I live a couple hours from where he made his home in Kaycee Wyoming, and he was well known and well thought of here. He had no enemies, just a happy go lucky cowboy.

Steve


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz3_GfMxkXU&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9Z3If3Xyi8&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv4H9fAw3Z4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG6ELD-TiC4