I voted. Then came home and whipped this out.
Daily Whip Out: "The Kid Draws Iron."
Are they related? Probably.
There’s guns across the river aimin’ at ya
Lawman on your trail, he’d like to catch ya
Bounty hunters, too, they’d like to get ya
Billy, they don’t like you to be so free
—Bob Dylan, "Billy Theme #1"
Bob Dylan's Old West Original Songs
We're still noodling the idea of running Bob Dylan on the cover of True West.
Thanks to two of my friends on Facebook, we have all the songs Bob Dylan wrote about the Old West. Compiled by Rasmus Holmberg and David Lambert:
Original Compositions About
the Old West
• Rambling, Gambling Willie
(Bob Dylan)
• John Wesley Harding
(Bob Dylan)
http://bobdylan.com/songs/john-wesley-harding/
• Wanted Man
(Bob Dylan)
http://bobdylan.com/songs/wanted-man/
(Bob Dylan)
http://bobdylan.com/songs/wanted-man/
• Billy
(Bob Dylan)
• Knockin' on Heaven's Door
(Bob Dylan)
• Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
(Bob Dylan)
• Romance in Durango
(Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy)
• Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)
(Bob Dylan)
• If You Ever Go to Houston
(Bob Dylan, Robert Hunter)
Covers and Traditionals About
the Old West
• The Hills of Mexico
(Traditional)
• Cool Water
(Bob Nolan)
• Ain't No More Cane
(Traditional)
• Days of '49
(Alan Lomax, John Lomax, Frank Warner)
• In Search of Little Sadie
(Traditional)
• Take a Message to Mary
(Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant)
• Lily of the West
(Traditional)
• Diamond Joe
(Traditional)
• Stack A Lee
(Traditional)
Original Compositions With
Lyrical References to the Old West
• Outlaw Blues
(Bob Dylan)
• Tombstone Blues
(Bob Dylan)
• She's Your Lover Now
(Bob Dylan)
• Brownsville Girl
(Bob Dylan)
Civil War Songs
• No More Auction Block
(Bob Dylan)
• Shenandoah
(Traditional)
• Two Soldiers
(Traditional)
• 'Cross the Green Mountain
(Bob Dylan)
And Rasmus (usually called Russ when he is stateside) Holmberg lives in Gothenburg, Sweden. Russ is 36 years old and works as a detective investigator with the Gothenburg Police Department. When he was 5 years old he visited a Wild West theme park in Sweden called High Chaparral. He told his parents he was going to work there when he grew up (which he did, starting ten years later).
He has been doing serious Old West research for about 20 years. Russ discovered Bob Dylan as a teenager and his music and poetry has been his second biggest passion, behind the Wild West. Mr. Holmberg has been to the States a few times and visited Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. He has also visited historic western sites such as Cody, Deadwood, Tombstone, Fort Worth, Atoka and Fort Smith. But, as he puts it, "I have to say Tombstone was something extra."
Tommy Johansson and Rasmus Holmberg visited the
True West World Headquarters on September 13 of this year while on
a tour of the Wild West. Both are from Sweden. I know. Amazing, huh?
They love the West and all things cowboy.
He gambled in the White House and in the railroad yards
Wherever there was people, there was Willie and his cards
He had the reputation as the gamblin’est man around
Wives would keep their husbands home when Willie came to town
And it’s ride, Willie, ride
Roll, Willie, roll
Wherever you are a-gamblin’ now, nobody really knows.
—Bob Dylan, "Rambling Gambling Willie
Bob on the cover? You betcha
ReplyDeleteAn excellent idea!
ReplyDeleteHe covered "Pretty Boy Floyd" for a Woody Guthrie/Leadbelly tribute album, back in the 80's.
ReplyDeleteAs for lyrical references, I'd be tempted to add Shelter From the Storm: 'Well, the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount
But nothing really matters much, it’s doom alone that counts
And the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn
“Come in,” she said, “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”'
Up To Me: "The Union Central is pulling out ..." always reminds me of the first transcon, minus the Pacific's.
And Isis just has a "weird west" vibe to it, really can't explain that one.