Wandering Cowboy (I), The [Laws B7]

DESCRIPTION: A cowboy sadly tells the tale of why he left home: He had killed a childhood friend in a quarrel over a girl: "So that's the reason why I am compelled to roam. A sinner of the darkest strain, Far far away from home"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1928
KEYWORDS: death fight cowboy rambling love friend homicide burial
FOUND IN: US(SE,So,SW) Canada
REFERENCES (9 citations):
Laws B7, "The Wandering Cowboy"
Randolph 190, "The Wandering Cowboy" (3 texts, 2 tunes)
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore2 265, "A Jolly Group of Cowboys" (1 text)
Larkin-SingingCowboy, pp. 144-146, "Wandering Cowboy" (1 text, 1 tune)
McNeil-SouthernFolkBalladsVol1, pp. 157-159, "The Wandering Cowboy" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fife/Fife-CowboyAndWesternSongs 89, "Cowboy's Home Sweet Home" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Lingenfelter/Dwyer/Cohen-SongsOfAmericanWest, pp. 416-417, "Home, Sweet Home" (1 text, 1 tune)
Ohrlin-HellBoundTrain 66, "Franklin Slaughter Ranch" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT 798, WANDCOWB
Roud #633
RECORDINGS:
Edward L. Crain, "Cowboy's Home Sweet Home" (Columbia 15710-D [as Edward L. Crain, the Texas Cowboy], 1932; rec. 1931) (Crown 3250/Melotone [Can.] 93027/Conqueror 8010 [as Cowboy Ed Crane], 1932; Montgomery Ward M-3016 [as Bob Star (The Texas Ranger)]/Varsity 5034 [as Cowboy Rodgers], n.d.; rec. 1931)
Jimmie Davis, "Cowboy's Home Sweet Home" (Victor 23718, 1932; Montgomery Ward M-7359, 1937; rec. 1930; on WhenIWas2)
Arthur Miles, "The Lonely Cowboy (Parts 1 & 2)" (Victor V-40156, 1929; on MakeMe, When I Was1)
Frank Wheeler & Monroe Lamb, "A Group of Jolly Cowboys" (Victor C-40169, 1929)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Fugitive's Lament" (plot)
NOTES [37 words]: The Arthur Miles recording contains one of the few examples of "throat singing" (overtone singing) I've heard in American tradition. The song should not be confused with "The Wandering Cowboy (II)," which is unrelated. - PJS
Last updated in version 6.6
File: LB07

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