1. |
The Benefactor
03:29
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Sam stepped into the bar last night
And didn't have much to say
His fortune had been ransomed for the life of a girl
And he didn't know how it would play
As he downed a shot of bourbon he wept
Life's sting poured down his throat
It wasn't til Molly told him the truth
that he realized the pitch of his slope
Now Molly was orphaned at age 14
Her step-father bruised her with guilt
He used her the way his father used him
It filled her with loathing and filth
When Sam stepped in she had a good friend
Compassionate and loving
But little did she know how it would go
for him to be so giving
Oh Molly oh Molly
Why did you distress my heart so
I wanted to give you a hand
But I'm stuck here unable to go
I'm stuck here a dim sort of scarecrow
As the gathering shadows surround me
Their caws and their claws dissemble my dreams
As the morning light robs me
Oh Molly oh Molly
why did you distress my heart so
I'm stuck here in limbo
As dark wings pull from below
What Sam didn't know when he came to her aid
was that Molly had mothered a child
And the step-father took that sweet baby away
claiming to be warden of a minor
His friends the judge and the sheriff agreed
and Molly was left with no choice
Sam was fighting a jurisdiction
that stripped her of her voice
He was fighting a predator, a rapist and a lyer
And before he knew it Sam was trapped
in an oncoming prairie fire
Ooh-ooh oohhhh
Ooh ooh oohhhh
With only his word in his own defense
Charges were being filed
Sam was accused of abusing Molly
and fathering her newborn child
Oh Molly oh Molly
How you captured my heart and my dreams
You've stolen my heart and you've stolen my hope
All that's left is the gallows it seems
For to know you has cost me the life of my soul
and the brightness where youth cast its gleam
For to know you has robbed me of peace and of pleasure
And the brightness where once lived my dreee-
eee- eaams
Ahh ahh aahhh
ohh ohh ohhhhh
ooh ooh oohhhh
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2. |
Pearly Joe
03:00
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Pearly Joe came ridin in
from the Western plain
Pearly Joe was made for pain
Was singin in the rain
Makin love given the pain
Dusty trails Indian towners
Buckskin garb 'n deerskin hat
And a Bowie knife that flies
Pearly Joe was a man
His fate was sealed for a gamin man
I died in lucky dice that day
Pearly Joe and his brother Frank
Stayin tall and savin face day by friend
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3. |
Mayor of Cold River
06:40
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Left Placid in 1913 to be with the setting sun
After sweatin small wages til the day was done
Tired of civilization, tired of the lawman's gun
Became Mayor of Cold River, Population: One
Huntin, fishin, trappin Was a life of plenitude
Didn't have much time for lonely Called it solitude
Had Mrs Rondeau's kitcheonette Had his own Town Hall
Built himself some wigwams Notched lodgepoles in the fall
Used em to fuel his fires In winter's biting cold
Didn't bother cuttin firewood Just pushed em in the coals
Ol Noah Rondeau Ol Noah Rondeau
Livin on his own terms In the 'rondack snow
Clarence told me he cached supplies here and there in the woods
After hunting they'd be hungry [Ready for a Noah special ]
Ready to eat real good
He'd pull a fryin pan from one old log,
Jar of bear grease from another
Dug a deer carcass, last week's kill Frozen still, for supper
Cut her heart into pieces and throwed em in the skillet
Bugs, worms germs, fired' be sure to kill it
With the bear grease and rust bubblin in the heat
Made some mighty fine brown gravy,
[Threw in some onions and salt. My, that's savory] ... Yumm... let's eat!
Ol Noah Rondeau Ol Noah Rondeau
Lightin his pipe and enjoyin The river's evenin glow
Ol Noah Rondeau Ol Noah Rondeau
Settin his own pace ... And takin it slow
He enjoyed his reputation Enjoyed his friends much more
The few he had were friends for life Though many passed his door
When 46'r boys and hunters 'd visit for a spell
With a twinkle in his eye and on the sly He'd hook em with a tale
When a city boy said "Noah, I wanna hunt meself some bear"
Noah told him about the 3-toed lout he'd trapped in a snare
The bear remembered Noey And trapped him in a tree
NoaH jumped down and rode him bear back
Across the North Country
Ol Noah Rondeau Ol Noah Rondeau
Livin alone In the cold cold cold... Adirondack snow
Adirondack snow
and when after the blowdown of 1950
Bill dropped a message from the sky
"Noey, you had enough yet?" Here's how he replied
With his snowshoes on out in the field
Stomped a big Y. E. S.
On an even keel, left his camp for real,
Old bones needed a rest
After 30-odd years livin his way Livin by his own laws
Worked at North Pole Village ... ... ... Playin Santa Claus
Ol Noah Rondeau Ol Noah Rondeau
Had yourself enough of the cold cold cold cold cold ... Adirondack snow
Livin on your own Far away from the Man
Had yourself a pretty good run Livin off the land
Livin off the land
Your skills were reknowned
Your front yard was the wilderness ...
Cold River was your town
Cold River ... was your town
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4. |
Ballad of a Courtin Man
05:11
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Mr Yachtman came from the country
He paid for his dues somehow
He appeared at her door in white linen
She brushed him aside with a scowl
Take heed, take heed Mr Yachtman
Your country ways won't do
There's a fine lady at her doorstep
And you can't fool her, not you
Now Miss Virginia knew a great surgeon
She wept upon hearing he died
She kept vigil yon seven years now
She knew who she was inside
When some dandy hat-in-hand came callin
He didn't know what was in store
Miss Virginia turned him out smartly
She invariably shut the door
Now Mr Yachtman was not so easy
He didn't take kindly to that
He felt his pride had been damaged
So he didn't put on his hat
Take heed, take heed Miss Virginia
You better watch out what you do
Yachtman brought his hand up deliberate
And rapped on the door anew
Now what would you do in her place?
A stranger came to your door
Would you get your shotgun ready?
Would you hide in your room on the floor?
Miss Virginia decided to listen
For the way he knocked on her door
It wasn't harsh or insistent
It was forthright, easy and sure
So the story of Virginia Yachtman
Turned out ever so true
She found a man who adored her
And her heart found love anew
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5. |
John Wesley Powell
09:41
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John Wesley Powell was a man of his word
He joined the Union cause to right the wrongs he could
He fought and lost an arm and continued to serve
Though for life he felt the pain from his amputated nerve
He loved the land and learned to map it true
He learned to read its sediments, it structures, it glue
He was book learned but needed a bigger test
So he organized his buddies and explored the wild west
John Wesley Powell left his mark on the land
Like Lewis and Clark before him
Like Marshall and Muir he’ll stand
For the country he saw was as great as the sky
The forests, the rivers, where beauty never dies
As a young man he rowed the Mississippi from Minnesota to the sea
He hiked across Wisconsin, he was barely 23
In the war he kept his head down laying in the trenches
Wasn’t just scared, was inspecting water flow in ditches
He first explored the Rockies in eighteen sixty seven
Knew his heart belonged to this big piece of heaven
It wasn’t recklessness, pride or bravado
Curiosity led him to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado
Chorus:
For a thousand miles the Virgin, Escalante, and Price
Every lateral creek has a canyon it’s sliced
Every brook, every rill born of a shower
Has cut into rock with slow, relentless power
Pueblo-building tribes, a thousand generations
Zuni, Hopi and the Navajo nations
The Paiute and Havasupai scratch out their lives
in this empty quiet land they’ve learned to survive
Chorus:
Ponderosa, manzanita, cottonwood and willow
A single puff in the sky soft as a pillow
Dry pancake flats that bloom in the dew
A palette of color and the sky so blue
Our genial crew, hand picked for their skills
Veteran explorers, all have strong wills
There are 10 of us now, God willing all will come through
We know what we’re in for, we know what to do
Chorus:
Wooden skiffs, boats packed with gear
Difficult to row, difficult to steer
Launched north of Moab, launched on the Green
Up here the water’s gentle, it seems quite serene
(Pulse root chord -- Chant)
Ya-ah-teh Biliga-ana Aho-A Nizhanee-A
Greetings White Man, be well, be lucky
Walls of water, torrents of force
Around each bend another course
Broadside to the rock, crashing, smashing wood
Men tossed to the wild, clinging to what they could
Rescue risks losing more boats still
Thrashing rapids that can kill, they can kill
[spoken]
T'ahdii ni, Shini chii-di bik-id ni.
We are sorry for you. May the spirits watch over you
A stretch of peaceful water eases our fear
But too soon again, what’s that I hear?
We look at each other, what’s around the bend?
This is too much, it has to end, it has to end
We’ve lost tools, food and supplies
We've no way of knowing if we’ll come out alive
We climb out of the canyon, up the rock face
To see where we stand in this rugged, empty place
The river is a snake, winding in the sun
We can see our journey's just begun, it’s just begun
Keyah-dii nitsaa doo yeeh,
Holo dikwii Na-nish-tsoe
[spoken]: This land is big and fearsome, it is rife with hazards
Today millions visit the rim, thousands more raft the river
We’ve learned to expect our tours to deliver
We take for granted this man’s achievements
Until we face the river, and confront our fears like he did
Chorus:
John Wesley Powell left his mark on the land
Like Lewis and Clark before you
[spoken]: Jo-ni Woh-nas-di Ta-ha-ah-te
You have furthered the possible
For the country you saw was as great as the sky
The forests, the rivers,
[spoken]: Ya-ah-teh Nah-dzah Naa-na.
where beauty never dies
[spoken]: We welcome your return.
Explorers work off obsessions and urges
Inside there’s something the unknown purges
It’s not just about risking their lives
It’s a vision for which... each man and woman thrives
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6. |
Interlude
01:20
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7. |
Forevermore
03:45
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The mountain is tall The river is wide
My love’s so far The climb’s so steep
The night is dark I cannot sleep
I cannot keep My lover’s heart
The time has come I must cross o’er
One fine day I’ll know for sure
I’ll see the light Behind her door
I’ll know first sight Forever more
The climb is steep I can’t cross o’er
The nights are long My heart is sore
I’ll see the light Behind her door
In my dreams Forever more
In my dreams Forever more
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8. |
Woodsmoke and Whiskey
05:15
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Canoeing through the Kawatae Lakes in old Ontario
My brother and I went trapping during an early October snow
We came upon an Ojibwe camp abandoned years ago
Found shelter in a lean-to as the wind began to blow
(Chorus)
Woodsmoke and whiskey and a little bit of repartee
Woodsmoke and whiskey to keep us company
We covered 14 miles that first day out of camp
The snow turned to drizzle, we were feelin kind of damp
That week we porteged Healey Falls, that was quite a hike
Our bellies knotted in hunger though we fished for bass and pike
Woodsmoke and whiskey and a little bit of repartee
Woodsmoke and whiskey kept us company
Staring at the embers, starin at the fire's glow
The quiet overtook us with memories of long ago
Our mama and papa were gone now and so was our sister Sue
Two boys out in the wilderness just tryin to make a go
(Whistle chorus)
(Chorus)
From far away some lonesome wolves were makin their mournful cry
Was a lonesome feelin no one knowin if we were to die
No one would claim our bodies if we perished in this cold
And a few beaver pelts weren't worth the cost of never growin old
But what was there for us in the town where we were born?
Our people were all gone now, there was no one left to mourn
Jobs were scarce, we had no means, no good way to get by
So we packed our traps and our hunting gear and made for the open sky
(As chorus)
We made for the open sky oh Lord, we made for the open sky
And little did we know where our fates would surely lie
Sitting here by this dying fire, chilled to the bone
Grateful for the company as we pass this time alone
As we pass the time alone oh Lord, as we pass this time alone
Just woodsmoke and whiskey to remind us of our home
Then my brother says as he often does, I think that we're just tired
Tomorrow is another day let's build ourselves a fire
We've got fine whiskey and good stout bread, our traps are set and ready
Let's stick to plan and look ahead, the weather's holdin steady
And we've got
Woodsmoke and whiskey and mighty fine repartee
We've got woodsmoke and whiskey to keep us company
Yes we've got woodsmoke and whiskey and easy repartee
We've got woodsmoke and whiskey
We've got woodsmoke and whiskey
Yes we've got woodsmoke and whiskey
And each other's company
We've got woodsmoke and whiskey
We've got woodsmoke and whiskey
Yes we've got woodsmoke and whiskey
And my brother's company
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9. |
Yosemite
06:24
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Before the millions came to visit
There were black bear and crow
And light crept over the canyon walls
Each morning in the snow
Until shadow swallowed highlights
The vastness of it all
Only time bore witness
In spring and golden fall
Ehy-yoh Ehy-yoh Ehy-Yoh Ehy-Yoh
In winds and rain and stillness
The dripping mossy cliffs
Plunging liquid drapery
The water and the mist
The huge smooth granite faces
That took the breath away
Of those who first walked in here
And those who come today
Ehy-yoh Ehy-yoh Ehy-Yoh Ehy-Yoh
The giant limbed Sequoia
Towering and fat
Each who’s gazed up in them has whispered,
“Oh. Look at that!”
Their brittle twigs and oily resins
Far above our heads
Home to warbler and woodpecker
Waxwing and wren
Ehy-yoh Ehy-yoh Ehy-Yoh Ehy-Yoh
The peaks fade like battleships
Into the distant plain
Far above the mountain meadow
Tuolumne by name
And the granite face and open sky
That change so constantly
Call down their perfect valley
Yosemite… Yosemite
Ehy-yoh Ehy-yoh
What does it mean
When places such as these
Remind us of the infinite
And bring us to our knees
They grace our sensibilities
They remind us who we are
Bearers of grace and beauty
Witness to the stars
Ehy-yoh Ehy-yoh Ehy-Yoh Ehy-Yoh
Before the millions came to visit
There were black bear and crow
And light crept over the canyon walls
Each morning in the snow
Until shadow swallowed highlights
The vastness of it all
The eagle bearing witness
In spring and golden fall
Ehy-yoh Ehy-yoh Ehy-Yoh Ehy-Yoh
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Stephen Scholle Hartsdale, New York
Picked up guitar in 1967. Began writing songs in 09 after a breakup. TY to Fred Gillen, Burr Johnson, Peter Calo and the Ashokan music community for supporting my passion. I write from the chord voicings and I write from the voice inside. Some songs channel moments. Sometimes words just sound good. I like to let the song speak and I like to work with others on that. If you'd like, get in touch. ... more
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