An attempt at western style

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Manslick

Manslick

Road
Watched Unforgiven again the other night and was struck by the slow but deliberate pace of the film. A masterpiece to be sure.

After the movie I went in and hit record and this came out, not all of it but the bare framework. I've since worked it to a more full form A-B with a middle 8.

The chords I used are C G alternating lines then to Em A7 for the B section that goes from A7 to Am to D for the turn back to the next A section, the rhythm a bouncy 4 beat but not too fast, around 99 bpm.

I don't have music for the middle 8 yet as I just wrote the words today.

So, not being a cowboy myself, how does this sit for you as a cowboy song?

The Song:

Cowboy ride your horse
Down the true and steady course
On the never ending trail
Hear the horse flipping its tail
The clipty clap upon the ground
Happiness is just around

The next little town that you come to
A little woman be waiting for you
With eyes so soft you can’t look away
And when she asked you said you’d stay

Cowboy ride your horse
From everyone you will divorce
On the never ending trail
Roll a smoke and then inhale
The clipty clap upon the ground
The far horizon’s where you’re bound

Then the next little town that you come to
A little woman be waiting for you
And your new buddies in the bar room
In the morning smell her perfume

Cowboy ride your horse
Your rigid code you must enforce
On the never ending trail
Another chapter of the tale
The clipty clap upon the ground
The rocks and dust is all you found

(Mid 8)
From east Cheyenne to south despair
The endless string of starry nights
In your head your solemn prayer
And campfires slowly fading lights
You dream of true love and a free range
Prairie dogs, wild horse and water
The nightmares come in form of real change
The life you knew is led to slaughter

Another sad town appears in sight
Are you hoping it’ll be alright?
Will your soul find its meadow?
Or will you keep the status quo?

Cowboy ride your horse
Down the true and steady course
On the never ending trail
Hear the horse flipping its tail
The clipty clap upon the ground
Happiness is just around
 
Manslick said:
Watched Unforgiven again the other night and was struck by the slow but deliberate pace of the film. A masterpiece to be sure.

After the movie I went in and hit record and this came out, not all of it but the bare framework. I've since worked it to a more full form A-B with a middle 8.

The chords I used are C G alternating lines then to Em A7 for the B section that goes from A7 to Am to D for the turn back to the next A section, the rhythm a bouncy 4 beat but not too fast, around 99 bpm.

I don't have music for the middle 8 yet as I just wrote the words today.

So, not being a cowboy myself, how does this sit for you as a cowboy song?

The Song:

Cowboy ride your horse
Down the true and steady course
On the never ending trail
Hear the horse flipping its tail
The clipty clap upon the ground
Happiness is just around

The next little town that you come to
A little woman be waiting for you
With eyes so soft you can’t look away
And when she asked you said you’d stay

Cowboy ride your horse
From everyone you will divorce
On the never ending trail
Roll a smoke and then inhale
The clipty clap upon the ground
The far horizon’s where you’re bound

Then the next little town that you come to
A little woman be waiting for you
And your new buddies in the bar room
In the morning smell her perfume

Cowboy ride your horse
Your rigid code you must enforce
On the never ending trail
Another chapter of the tale
The clipty clap upon the ground
The rocks and dust is all you found

(Mid 8)
From east Cheyenne to south despair
The endless string of starry nights
In your head your solemn prayer
And campfires slowly fading lights
You dream of true love and a free range
Prairie dogs, wild horse and water
The nightmares come in form of real change
The life you knew is led to slaughter

Another sad town appears in sight
Are you hoping it’ll be alright?
Will your soul find its meadow?
Or will you keep the status quo?

Cowboy ride your horse
Down the true and steady course
On the never ending trail
Hear the horse flipping its tail
The clipty clap upon the ground
Happiness is just around
Click to expand...

The lyrics are qunitessential cowboy . . . riding on the lonesome prairie where the coyotes wail and the tumbleweed tumbles.

I really like this line: "From east Cheyenne to south despair".

It would be interesting to hear how this is translated into music. I reckon, though, that if you've set out to create a typcial cowboy song, you've succeeded very well.
 
Hey gecko zzed, interesting you mentioned the one line that I really want to change. I looked for a town called Despair and didn't find one right away but I know there is a movie with a town called Despair.

I thought about changing the line to "From east Cheyenne to the rio grande" and pronounce grande like grand not "graund day" with a rolled "r" but that means changing the rhymes that follow. I'll see how the words feel in music.

And try rhyming coyote. See why I left that out?

This is a tough one for me, lots of words and if I make it too slow it'll bore ya to death.

This is going to take a while. The idea is pretty well worn so it's the music that needs to shine. Hmm we'll see how that goes.

Thanks for your thoughts.
 
Coyote = Peyote

Peyote was a cactus that the cowboys chewed, got them high. The Eagles use it in the song "Bitter Creek", on the Desperado album (which contains 100% cowboy songs, BTW).

I like what you're putting together.

-Mike
 
Hey Mike, nice rhyme.

Yea Desperado - I've been trying real hard to steer clear of that one.
 
I think you need to go to Churchill Downs, which is near where you live, and smell the horse poopy. You might also step in a cow pie. Always works for me.

You're a natural cowboy at heart. Love what you did with Taxi Whore.

Wig:)
 
I don’t know why all of a sudden all things cowboy seem very interesting to me.

Yes Churchill Downs does have horses and I have run that track before. I remember your song by that name.

I’m going camping tomorrow so maybe some new ideas will amble on by.

And I been a working on my country licks too. This is really too much fun for a scoundrel like me.
 
Scoundrel? I think not. You are a very sensitive artistic and expressive man. I look forward to hearing your "take" on what you deem to be a country tune. I'm sure it will be unique. One thing you ain't is a French vanilla cowboy.

Now, dip some snuff and get out there and spit.:D

Wig:)
 
Thanks Wig. So here is a version I did yesterday. All recorded into a beta version of a new program called Record by Propellehead. All natural but the drums. I have plans for some more BGV and maybe a saloon style piano track but for now it's all guitars.

I took some liberty with the vocal style, got a little too country in spots maybe. Some notes could be tighter too.

The middle eight took a lot of engineering but after a week of doing a different version daily I think this is close to being there. The middle eight segues in and out could be smoother I think.

I put this on my Google page to keep the mp3 rate high. The file is at the bottom of the page.

http://sites.google.com/site/manslickmusic/cowboy-ride

All comments welcome.
 
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