land of the columbine
1 Land of the Columbine
2 April Prayer
3 Workin’ for Dollars
4 I Lift Up My Eyes
5 Heifer in the Timber
6 September Song
7 Wide Open Spaces
8 Across the Great Divide
9 Grandma’s Dance
10 Cool of the Evening
11 Horse Sweat and Saddle Leather
1 Land of the Columbine
Douglas fir and lodgepole pine,
high in the land of the columbine
Winter winds you can hear them whine,
summer’s short, but summer’s fine
My true love came from out east
and I’m from the hills of the golden west
We wed in a meadow ‘neath the cottonwoods gold,
scent of sage and promise of snow
And the word of God it was clear and true,
lift your eyes to the mountains and be assured
Seasons change and so will we,
but we’ll be together ‘til our dying day
Aspen grove a half a mile wide,
slip on your boots, let’s go for a ride
When the leaves start to turn, it can come any time,
high in the land of the columbine
Didn’t know much then, not much more now,
still our love is growing into a field of flowers
It’s snowing again, I’m gonna build a fire,
come sit with me we’ll while away the hours
Douglas fir and lodgepole pine,
high in the land of the columbine
Winter winds you can hear them whine,
summer’s short but summer’s fine
Aspen grove a half a mile wide,
slip on your boots, let’s go for a ride
When the leaves start to turn, it can come any time,
high in the land of the columbine
Summer’s short, but summer’s fine
High in the land of the columbine
2 April Prayer
With the crowning of the sun,
another day is born
And I’m riding up the valleys,
climbing through the canyons
If I knew no other message,
than the sun brings to me
I would live my life shining,
no shadows on my soul
With the rising of the western wind,
another storm moves strong
And I’m wandering the bottoms,
bending with the trees
If I knew no other message,
than the wind brings to me
I would walk the paths of wisdom,
know how to be free
With the melting of winter whiteness,
a thousand streams flow strong
And I’m standing by the river,
watching them turn one
If I knew no other message,
than the river brings to me
Peace would wash away all my fears,
drown them in the sea
With the greening of the earth,
springtime buds and grows
And I’m standing by the meadows edge,
toes gripping the ground
If I knew no other message,
than the earth brings to me
I would be forever bountiful
beautiful and bountiful,
My prayer is all of this will come to be
3 Workin’ for Dollars
You couldn’t guess his age,
you just know there’s miles there
Face full of wrinkles, little grey in his hair
Come up from Mexico,
montanas de Chihuahua
Workin’ for dollars,
got a family down there
Won’t work in the city, not unless he has to
He’s puro rancho, with a rope in his hand
Got a way with the horses,
he’s out digging postholes
Up here in the mountains,
just for the summer time
Sittin’ round the bunkhouse
con sus compadres
Just a couple Budweisers and a deck of cards
Cantan corridos de los nortenos
Warmin’ tortillas outside on the fire
Well he sends his money
down at the Western Union
Buys a long distance phone card
at the Stop-n-Go
Can’t wait to call home,
one phone in his whole town
He’ll be headed south
before the snow starts to fly
Some days there’s fence to build
or he’s sittin’ on a tractor
There’s plenty of hay and too much wire
Some days he’s horseback, shakin’ a loop out
Puro vaquero, finest in the land
Some they don’t know him,
some they just won’t see him
But them that do,
they want to know his name
Hola, mi amigo, mi companero,
I’ll be lookin’ for you come summertime
I’ll be lookin’ for you come summertime
4 I Lift Up My Eyes
Psalm 121
John Michael Talbot
I lift up my eyes to the mountains
From where shall come my help
My help shall come from the Lord
Who made heaven and earth
May he never allow you to stumble
Let Him sleep not your guard
No He sleeps not nor stumbles
Israel’s God
I lift up my eyes to the mountains
From where shall come my help
My help shall come from the Lord
Who made heaven and earth
The Lord is your guard and your shade
At your right side He stands
By day the sun shall not smite you
Nor the moon in the night
The Lord will guard you from all evil
He will guard your heart and your soul
He will guard your going and your coming
Now and forever more
I lift up my eyes to the mountains
From where shall come my help
My help shall come from the Lord
Who made heaven and earth
5 Heifer in the Timber (Instrumental)
6 September Song
It’s the end of the season,
and the evenings turning cold
All the aspen, they’re a glowin’,
hold me spellbound, mountain’s takin’ hold
I have ridden hidden meadows
flowers high and falling creek
Horse beneath me, climbing higher,
‘til the sky is at my feet
Now the frost has flowers faded,
Bluebirds flying, but I can’t go
Winter’s moving and I am waiting
To see what blows in with the snow.
Take the horses to green pastures
to warm their souls for the coming freeze
Hair grown shaggy, bellies rolling,
I see them filter through the trees.
As I gaze upon the river,
reflecting cottonwoods gold,
shimmering light
The warming sun is a reminder
of the chill held in the night
Now the frost has flowers faded,
Bluebirds flying, but I can’t go
Winter’s moving and I am waiting
to see what blows in with the snow.
To see what blows in with the snow
7 Wide Open Spaces
Wide open spaces
Land of the endless sky
Empty forgotten places
Hidden away from time
Wide open spaces
Thunderheads they rumble and growl
Beauty is always bittersweet
In the land where the wild winds howl
Wind that sweeps from
The rocky crags
Goes drifting toward the plains
Aspen and the evergreen
Meet the rolling sea of sage
Wide open spaces
Land of the cowboys pride
Where lonely is a lovely word
And life is lived outside
Canyons deep
And mesas steep
Leave trails slow to unwind
Coyote wails
Cottonwood creaks
And the elk melt into the pines
Wide open spaces
They’re not easy but they’re free
In the land of the lion
An eagle screams
This is the place for me
8 Across the Great Divide
Kate Wolf
I’ve been walking in my sleep
Counting trouble, ‘stead of counting sheep
Where the years went, I can’t say
I just turned around and they’re gone away
I’ve been sifting through the layers
of dusty books and faded papers
They tell a story I used to know
one that happened so long ago
Gone away – in yesterday,
And I find myself on the mountainside
Where the rivers change direction
Across the Great Divide
Well I heard the owl calling
softly as the night was falling
With a question, and I replied
but he’s gone across the borderline
The finest hour, that I have seen,
is the one that comes between
the edge of night and the break of day
When the darkness rolls away
9 Grandma’s Dance
The dustbowl made her strong,
I think that she remembers it
When the coffee table’s dusty,
when the wind blows in the window
The wall of dust swallowed the sun,
but after the darkness
She said you’d see the bluest sky
you have ever seen
Grandma, she’s not fond of dirt
on the road or on the floor
She’s not much on rustic things,
she’s seen them all before.
When she moved to town she was gaining ground
and Grandpa did his best
He moved her to California,
before he took his rest
Let’s roll back the rugs one more time
Dance to the fiddle ‘til the morning sun shines
Don’t need to go back
to those hard old dusty days
Bittersweet memories, sweet just the same
The birthday cards come right on time
and in the words she writes inside
She’ll tell you how she’s feeling
and how your face she’s missing
She’s an only child who’s lived beyond
two husbands and a son
And if she’s lonely sometimes,
she’s got a right to tell someone.
Let’s roll back the rugs one more time
Dance to the fiddle ‘til the morning sun shines Don’t need to go back
to those hard old dusty days
Bittersweet memories, sweet just the same
Bluest skies you’ve ever seen
Bittersweet memories, sweet just the same
10 Cool of the Evening
In the cool of the evening,
color of the sun going down
And I wish that I was lonely,
but there’s folk all around
I can’t see the horizon,
just the hard, hard hand of man
Everybody’s headed somewhere
just as fast as they can
In the cool of the evening,
color of the sun going down
And I wish that I was somewhere
where there was peace in the sound
All this chaos and confusion,
I am afraid to comprehend
Don’t want to know what it might tell me
about the dark side of man
God, give me the perception
to see the good in every man
God, give me the serenity
to see beyond what I don’t understand
If I could ease into my morning
cup of coffee in an open land
Smell the wind bringing the rain on
believe there’s a gentle side of man
In the cool of the evening,
color of the sun going down
11 Horse Sweat and Saddle Leather
Well I’m ragged down to the core,
body is tired and achin’
Stomped, bucked and bruised,
feelin’ slightly abused,
Well, I work ‘til the sun sets low
But nobody’s makin’ me stay here,
I’m livin’ the life that I choose
You can see it in the eyes
of those with whom I ride
We don’t settle for just dreamin’ dreams.
There’s horse sweat and saddle leather
Covered in dust that blows
Lightnin’ and rain, well you can call me insane
But sometimes I speak to the stars
There’s horse sweat and saddle leather
Perfume and incense for me.
Well I’d bottle it up,
but it would not be enough
Without the clear mountain air that I breathe.
I’ve suffered the town and the city,
where some live the life that they please
I’ve been over the ocean,
seems I’m always in motion
Oh, many the things that I’ve seen
It’s true that I’m not finished roamin’,
somethin’ keeps draggin’ me on
But whatever I find, I pray I’ll find the time
When we’ll be together again.
2 April Prayer
3 Workin’ for Dollars
4 I Lift Up My Eyes
5 Heifer in the Timber
6 September Song
7 Wide Open Spaces
8 Across the Great Divide
9 Grandma’s Dance
10 Cool of the Evening
11 Horse Sweat and Saddle Leather
1 Land of the Columbine
Douglas fir and lodgepole pine,
high in the land of the columbine
Winter winds you can hear them whine,
summer’s short, but summer’s fine
My true love came from out east
and I’m from the hills of the golden west
We wed in a meadow ‘neath the cottonwoods gold,
scent of sage and promise of snow
And the word of God it was clear and true,
lift your eyes to the mountains and be assured
Seasons change and so will we,
but we’ll be together ‘til our dying day
Aspen grove a half a mile wide,
slip on your boots, let’s go for a ride
When the leaves start to turn, it can come any time,
high in the land of the columbine
Didn’t know much then, not much more now,
still our love is growing into a field of flowers
It’s snowing again, I’m gonna build a fire,
come sit with me we’ll while away the hours
Douglas fir and lodgepole pine,
high in the land of the columbine
Winter winds you can hear them whine,
summer’s short but summer’s fine
Aspen grove a half a mile wide,
slip on your boots, let’s go for a ride
When the leaves start to turn, it can come any time,
high in the land of the columbine
Summer’s short, but summer’s fine
High in the land of the columbine
2 April Prayer
With the crowning of the sun,
another day is born
And I’m riding up the valleys,
climbing through the canyons
If I knew no other message,
than the sun brings to me
I would live my life shining,
no shadows on my soul
With the rising of the western wind,
another storm moves strong
And I’m wandering the bottoms,
bending with the trees
If I knew no other message,
than the wind brings to me
I would walk the paths of wisdom,
know how to be free
With the melting of winter whiteness,
a thousand streams flow strong
And I’m standing by the river,
watching them turn one
If I knew no other message,
than the river brings to me
Peace would wash away all my fears,
drown them in the sea
With the greening of the earth,
springtime buds and grows
And I’m standing by the meadows edge,
toes gripping the ground
If I knew no other message,
than the earth brings to me
I would be forever bountiful
beautiful and bountiful,
My prayer is all of this will come to be
3 Workin’ for Dollars
You couldn’t guess his age,
you just know there’s miles there
Face full of wrinkles, little grey in his hair
Come up from Mexico,
montanas de Chihuahua
Workin’ for dollars,
got a family down there
Won’t work in the city, not unless he has to
He’s puro rancho, with a rope in his hand
Got a way with the horses,
he’s out digging postholes
Up here in the mountains,
just for the summer time
Sittin’ round the bunkhouse
con sus compadres
Just a couple Budweisers and a deck of cards
Cantan corridos de los nortenos
Warmin’ tortillas outside on the fire
Well he sends his money
down at the Western Union
Buys a long distance phone card
at the Stop-n-Go
Can’t wait to call home,
one phone in his whole town
He’ll be headed south
before the snow starts to fly
Some days there’s fence to build
or he’s sittin’ on a tractor
There’s plenty of hay and too much wire
Some days he’s horseback, shakin’ a loop out
Puro vaquero, finest in the land
Some they don’t know him,
some they just won’t see him
But them that do,
they want to know his name
Hola, mi amigo, mi companero,
I’ll be lookin’ for you come summertime
I’ll be lookin’ for you come summertime
4 I Lift Up My Eyes
Psalm 121
John Michael Talbot
I lift up my eyes to the mountains
From where shall come my help
My help shall come from the Lord
Who made heaven and earth
May he never allow you to stumble
Let Him sleep not your guard
No He sleeps not nor stumbles
Israel’s God
I lift up my eyes to the mountains
From where shall come my help
My help shall come from the Lord
Who made heaven and earth
The Lord is your guard and your shade
At your right side He stands
By day the sun shall not smite you
Nor the moon in the night
The Lord will guard you from all evil
He will guard your heart and your soul
He will guard your going and your coming
Now and forever more
I lift up my eyes to the mountains
From where shall come my help
My help shall come from the Lord
Who made heaven and earth
5 Heifer in the Timber (Instrumental)
6 September Song
It’s the end of the season,
and the evenings turning cold
All the aspen, they’re a glowin’,
hold me spellbound, mountain’s takin’ hold
I have ridden hidden meadows
flowers high and falling creek
Horse beneath me, climbing higher,
‘til the sky is at my feet
Now the frost has flowers faded,
Bluebirds flying, but I can’t go
Winter’s moving and I am waiting
To see what blows in with the snow.
Take the horses to green pastures
to warm their souls for the coming freeze
Hair grown shaggy, bellies rolling,
I see them filter through the trees.
As I gaze upon the river,
reflecting cottonwoods gold,
shimmering light
The warming sun is a reminder
of the chill held in the night
Now the frost has flowers faded,
Bluebirds flying, but I can’t go
Winter’s moving and I am waiting
to see what blows in with the snow.
To see what blows in with the snow
7 Wide Open Spaces
Wide open spaces
Land of the endless sky
Empty forgotten places
Hidden away from time
Wide open spaces
Thunderheads they rumble and growl
Beauty is always bittersweet
In the land where the wild winds howl
Wind that sweeps from
The rocky crags
Goes drifting toward the plains
Aspen and the evergreen
Meet the rolling sea of sage
Wide open spaces
Land of the cowboys pride
Where lonely is a lovely word
And life is lived outside
Canyons deep
And mesas steep
Leave trails slow to unwind
Coyote wails
Cottonwood creaks
And the elk melt into the pines
Wide open spaces
They’re not easy but they’re free
In the land of the lion
An eagle screams
This is the place for me
8 Across the Great Divide
Kate Wolf
I’ve been walking in my sleep
Counting trouble, ‘stead of counting sheep
Where the years went, I can’t say
I just turned around and they’re gone away
I’ve been sifting through the layers
of dusty books and faded papers
They tell a story I used to know
one that happened so long ago
Gone away – in yesterday,
And I find myself on the mountainside
Where the rivers change direction
Across the Great Divide
Well I heard the owl calling
softly as the night was falling
With a question, and I replied
but he’s gone across the borderline
The finest hour, that I have seen,
is the one that comes between
the edge of night and the break of day
When the darkness rolls away
9 Grandma’s Dance
The dustbowl made her strong,
I think that she remembers it
When the coffee table’s dusty,
when the wind blows in the window
The wall of dust swallowed the sun,
but after the darkness
She said you’d see the bluest sky
you have ever seen
Grandma, she’s not fond of dirt
on the road or on the floor
She’s not much on rustic things,
she’s seen them all before.
When she moved to town she was gaining ground
and Grandpa did his best
He moved her to California,
before he took his rest
Let’s roll back the rugs one more time
Dance to the fiddle ‘til the morning sun shines
Don’t need to go back
to those hard old dusty days
Bittersweet memories, sweet just the same
The birthday cards come right on time
and in the words she writes inside
She’ll tell you how she’s feeling
and how your face she’s missing
She’s an only child who’s lived beyond
two husbands and a son
And if she’s lonely sometimes,
she’s got a right to tell someone.
Let’s roll back the rugs one more time
Dance to the fiddle ‘til the morning sun shines Don’t need to go back
to those hard old dusty days
Bittersweet memories, sweet just the same
Bluest skies you’ve ever seen
Bittersweet memories, sweet just the same
10 Cool of the Evening
In the cool of the evening,
color of the sun going down
And I wish that I was lonely,
but there’s folk all around
I can’t see the horizon,
just the hard, hard hand of man
Everybody’s headed somewhere
just as fast as they can
In the cool of the evening,
color of the sun going down
And I wish that I was somewhere
where there was peace in the sound
All this chaos and confusion,
I am afraid to comprehend
Don’t want to know what it might tell me
about the dark side of man
God, give me the perception
to see the good in every man
God, give me the serenity
to see beyond what I don’t understand
If I could ease into my morning
cup of coffee in an open land
Smell the wind bringing the rain on
believe there’s a gentle side of man
In the cool of the evening,
color of the sun going down
11 Horse Sweat and Saddle Leather
Well I’m ragged down to the core,
body is tired and achin’
Stomped, bucked and bruised,
feelin’ slightly abused,
Well, I work ‘til the sun sets low
But nobody’s makin’ me stay here,
I’m livin’ the life that I choose
You can see it in the eyes
of those with whom I ride
We don’t settle for just dreamin’ dreams.
There’s horse sweat and saddle leather
Covered in dust that blows
Lightnin’ and rain, well you can call me insane
But sometimes I speak to the stars
There’s horse sweat and saddle leather
Perfume and incense for me.
Well I’d bottle it up,
but it would not be enough
Without the clear mountain air that I breathe.
I’ve suffered the town and the city,
where some live the life that they please
I’ve been over the ocean,
seems I’m always in motion
Oh, many the things that I’ve seen
It’s true that I’m not finished roamin’,
somethin’ keeps draggin’ me on
But whatever I find, I pray I’ll find the time
When we’ll be together again.