Old Corrals & Sagebrush: Goodbye, Ian Tyson
Old cowboys never die, they just ride off into the sunset. Ian Tyson rode off this morning, Thursday, December 29th. I read that he had the good fortune to spend his last moments on his ranch near Longview, Alberta, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We all come to our end somewhere and I rest easier knowing that Mr. Tyson got to saddle up at 89 for his final ride there at home.
© Provided by National Post
Lyrics from “The Gift”, Ian Tyson’s song about the American Western painter, Charles Marion Russell:
“In old St. Louis over in Missouri
The mighty Mississippi, well, it rolls and flows
A son was born to Mary Russell
And it starts the legend every cowboy knows
Young kid Russell was born to wander
Ever westward he was bound to roam
Just a kid of sixteen in 1880
Up in wild Montana he found his home”
“But I’d like nothing better than to lay these eyes on you”
Lori Knutson 
A definite Canadian icon, Lori. The song I remember the most was Four Strong Winds. Back in the early 1970’s we memorized it and sung it as a Grade 8 class music performance.
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Hi Carl, Thanks for reading and commenting! Yes, I’ve heard Four Strong Winds described as the second Canadian national anthem. 😊 That’s great that your teacher had your class perform this classic. One year, I had my Grade Threes sing one from Cowboyography called “Springtime.” Thanks for dropping by! – Lori
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You are very welcome, Lori. Springtime is such a great song. Everything is coming back to life. And having grown up on a farm, I can definitely identify with calving season. 🙂
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