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Uploaded December 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

Day 258 of the American Songbag Stay-at-Home Series

According to Windjammers: Songs of the Great Lakes Sailors (2002) by Ivan H. Watson and Joe Grimm [with music transcriptions by Lee Murdock], this shanty was saved for the last duty of a voyage: Pumping out a ship after she reached port and was unloaded. Since the sailors wanted to get ashore, this was considered a particularly unpleasant task -- hence this song, about getting away from the work.

$Colorado Trail Day 288 of the American Songbag Stay-at-Home Series Sandburg writes: A hoss wrangler brought a car of ponies to Duluth, Minnesota. The next day, after brave stunt riding, he was laid in a hospital bed with “ruptures on both sides.” He told the surgeon Dr. T. L. Chapman, in a soft, forgiving voice, “That was a terribly bad hoss—not only throwed me, but he trampled me.” Out of past years this rider had, Dr. Chapman’s examination disclosed, “bones of both upper and lower legs broken, fractures of collar bone on both sides, numerous fractures of both arms and wrists, and many scars from lacerations and tramplings, the bones knit any way that God and Nature let them heal.” As his strength came back he sang across the hospital ward in a mellowed tenor voice. And they always called for more. One song was The Colorado Trail remembered by Dr. Chapman as here set down. ADDITIONAL NOTE: Lee Hays (If I Had a Hammer and Weavers fame) added several verses to this beautiful little tune, and many singers have recorded them, or added others of their own. The only traditional lyrics, however, are those given above, taken from a horse wrangler who was hospitalized in Duluth, Minnesota and printed by Sandburg. (from the Traditional Ballad Index)$