My tastes

This is personal.

I love cowboy music. Not country and western so much, although there are a few good songs there, but just the old western music. Anything to do with the cowboys. Maybe that's why I loved Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove so much.

Some of my favorites are Ian Tyson, Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, Sons of the San Joaquin, and Michael Martin Murphy. I also enjoy Willie Nelson but for different reasons. As far as country music goes that's about the extent of it.

I have an Ian Tyson album on my mp3 player that I listen to quite a bit while I'm driving and it really helps me relax. There are some days when I just need to mentally escape from wherever I am and go back to the wide open ranges and ride that dusty old dun across the hills in search of the lost herd. Maybe that's why I enjoy driving a truck so much. It's my way of "crossing the plains".

Anyway, Ian Tyson sings this song called Bob Fudge about a trail driver who lived in the late 1800's to early 1900's and it really speaks to me. I love the tune and the words as well. I just wanted to share it with you. Not everyone is familiar with cowboy music and some of it can be quite beautiful.

You can check out the album Live at Longview but here are the lyrics to Bob Fudge.

My name is Bob Fudge
I was born in Texas
Lampasas county
back during the war
Small pox and Comanches
took most of my family
left my poor mother
and my brothers and me.

So I headed north
for to ride for the Blockers
They were contracting herds
for the Montana range.
In the spring of the year 82
we left ol Lampasas
with 2000 steers
for the Little Big Horn

Crossing our trails
were many great rivers
all to be crossed
not a bridge could we find
in the cold roiling waters
and the wild plungin cattle
there was many a young man
took leave of his life

Well, we crossed at Doan's store
into the Indian nations
we saw the blood on the rocks
where those cowboys had died
And on to Fort Dodge
on the Arkansas River
where gamblers and whores
came to welcome us there

The great snow capped peaks
were on our left side now
for many a mile
in a great silent land
when I first saw Montana
I knew I would love her.
I'd ride her great ranges
for the rest of my days.

Well, she's all cut and dried now
and the trails are all gone.
I been to Yellowstone Park
in an automobile.
But I can still see em swimming.
Boy's I can still hear em running.
Yes, I came up the trail
when cowboys was king.

My name is Bob Fudge.
I died in Montana

You really need to find the song and listen to it. It's on the album Live at Longview by Ian Tyson. If I knew how to put it on here I would but alas, my skills do not reach that far yet. Maybe someone can tell me. I would reward them with a great pat on the back.

Have fun.