Cowboy and Western Songs: A Comprehensive Anthology

by Austin E. Fife (Editor)

(Creative Concepts Publishing). This info-packed, 372-page collection features 200 American cowboy songs with complete lyrics, lead lines and guitar chords, plus an extensive introduction, notes on the songs, illustrations by J.K. Ralston throughout, a lexicon of cowboy terms, a general index and an index of titles and first lines, and more. Songs include: Billy the Kid * Blood on the Saddle * Buffalo Gals * Clementine * Dakota Land * The Girl I Left Behind Me * Going West * Jesse James * Johnny Cake * Old Paint * Punchin' Dough * Red River Valley * Red Wing * Shenandoah * Steamboat Bill * The Streets of Laredo * The Texas Cowboy * and many more.

Genres: History, Poetry, Music

384 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 1988

Reviews

[Altivo Overo]

Comprehensive as such a collection can be, this is an impressive effort. Not only does it include almost every traditional cowboy/western song I can think of, but it has alternate verses and versions that I have never heard before. Music and guitar chords are provided for all, with annotations and very nice black and white illustrations by J.K. Ralston. Probably not casual reading for most, but invaluable for folk musicians and folk music aficionados. I'll note here that the used copy I found is a first edition and was published in 1969, so the "first published" date given as 1988 here is incorrect.

[J]

Dad’s?

[Fredrick Danysh]

This is a collection of songs and music of the old American cowboys. Many classic as well as obscure music is included.

[Chaplain2]

This is a very good resource for music within the Cowboy genre.