Cowboy songs, and other frontier ballads

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

21300

Title

Cowboy songs, and other frontier ballads

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This collection preserves the unwritten ballad literature of the American frontier, capturing the instinct and tradition of cowboys and pioneers. Featuring songs from the Southwest, mining camps, and cattle ranches, the volume offers a vivid glimpse into pioneer life, the romantic figure of the cowboy, and the robust, unsophisticated human rhythm of native American poetry.

Summary up to 500 words

Collected by John A. Lomax and introduced by Barrett Wendell, *Cowboy Songs, and Other Frontier Ballads* presents a unique anthology of native American ballads from the Southwest, gathered from illiterate and isolated individuals in the wilds of the West. These songs reflect the Anglo-Saxon ballad spirit surviving in secluded districts, serving as both entertainment and historical records that shed light on pioneer life and the unique role of the American cowboy during the post-Civil War era. The collection includes tender childhood lays, original compositions, and practical work songs used to stir cattle or pass time during long watches. Themes range from the hardships of the trail drive and the loss of the longhorn to the tragedies of the gold rush and the resilience of the frontier spirit. The book is dedicated to Theodore Roosevelt, who recognized the importance of preserving this literature before it was killed by modern music hall competition. The songs represent the joint product of camp communities, where every verse was subject to the criticism and shared experiences of the group, ensuring authenticity and collective ownership. The volume captures the stark reality of the cowboy profession, which reached its greatest prominence in the decades following the Civil War. In places like Texas, vast open ranges encouraged cattle raising, requiring large forces of men to drive herds from Texas to Kansas or Montana. These men lived on terms of practical equality, turning to themselves for entertainment. The songs sprang up naturally, some tender and familiar, others original, all genuine despite being crude and unpolished. The collection includes specific ballads that illustrate the harsh conditions of the frontier. "Old Sod Shanty" depicts the loneliness of a claim-holder living in a structure with leather hinges and no glass, yet finding happiness in the freedom of the West. "The Gol-Darned Wheel" narrates a cowboy's fatal accident on a contraption brought by a tenderfoot, highlighting the dangers of the trail. "Bonnie Black Bess" tells the tragic story of a man who kills his faithful horse to save it from the law, while "The Last Longhorn" mourns the death of a noble bovine and the passing of an era as settlers brought barbed-wire fences and new breeds. Other songs, such as "Prisoner for Life" and "The Drunkard's Hell," explore themes of incarceration and addiction, offering redemptive narratives of sobriety and family. The anthology also satirizes historical figures like Brigham Young and critiques the dangers of the California Gold Rush in songs like "The Fools of Forty-Nine" and "A Ripping Trip." Through these verses, the book preserves the unwritten ballad literature of the back country, offering a robust, vivid, and artless expression of the human experience on the American frontier.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Folk Songs
• Cowboys