Author Topic: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!  (Read 9114 times)

Offline twistedude

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"Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« on: August 09, 2006, 11:24:04 pm »
Just heard Al Schweringen (sp?), the good guy-bad guy of "Deadwood" (HBO) singing it at the end of tonight's episode. c. 1875. At first I thought he was just singing Streets of Ladedo" very fast, cause the tune was the same, and then I realized that the words were all different. Only caught 'If she had informed me/ before she disordered me...and then something about "white salts of mercury." I knew mercury was the drug (?) of choice for syphilis--not that it did any good---but the idea was that mercury would hopefully kill the disease beforre it killed YOU. Also, people still had no IDEA of how long lasting, all encompossing and totally deadly the disease was. And how varied.  Later in the song, there's something about "drums" and "pipes" but I couldn't catch how they were to be played. Old Schweringen seemed pretty cheerful about it...

It wasn't till 1943 that penicillin was ackoiwledged to be an effecrtive drug against syphilis.  There were none before it.
"We're each of us alone, to be sure. What can you do but hold your hand out in the dark?" --"Nine Lives," by Ursula K. Le Guin, from The Wind's Twelve Quarters

vkm91941

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2006, 11:53:27 pm »
Sorry to disagree Julie, watched it twice because the ballad Al sings is strangely familiar but it is definitely not "Streets of Laredo".. I plan to watch again at 9 tonight just to see if it is listed in the credits at the end.  No mention on the HBO-Deadwood sight except that " Al performs his own sad ballad on Amatuer Night...to an audience of none, alone at the Gem."

As you can see from the lyrics to Streets of Laredo it plainly says the cowboy died from a gun shot to the breast.

As I walked out in the streets of Laredo
As I walked out in Laredo one day
I spied a poor cowboy wrapped up in white linen
All wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay

"I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy"
These words he did say as I proudly stepped by
"Come sit down beside me and hear my sad story
I'm shot in the breast and I know I must die

"'Twas once in the saddle I used to go ridin'
Once in the saddle I used to go gay
First lead to drinkin', and then to card-playing
I'm shot in the breast and I'm dying today

"Let six jolly cowboys come carry my coffin
Let six pretty gals come to carry my pall
Throw bunches of roses all over my coffin
Throw roses to deaden the clods as they fall

"Oh, beat the drum slowly, and play the fife lowly
And play the dead march as you carry me along
Take me to the green valley and lay the earth o'er me
For I'm a poor cowboy and I know I've done wrong"

We beat the drum slowly and played the fife lowly
And bitterly wept as we carried him along
For we all loved our comrade, so brave, young and handsome
We all loved our comrade although he done wrong


« Last Edit: August 09, 2006, 11:55:58 pm by Victoria »

Offline twistedude

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2006, 01:12:06 am »
Victoria---it's the same TUNE, and it's about a dying guy--it's NOT "STreets of Laredo." ANYONE would know the tune. Got a FEW MORE WORDS:


BUT NOW i'M CUT DOWN IN THE HEIGHT OF MY PRIME....DON'T MUFFLE YOUR DRUMS, AND PLAY YOUR PIPES MERRILY...THERE GOES AN UNFORTUNATE LAD TO HIS HOLE.

how CAN YOU SAY THE tune ISN'T "Streets of Laredo"? It obviously is! What are you trying to say?

It's EXACTLUY the same tune! How is it you'rte sorry to disappoint me? And how are you doing it? I ain't tone deef, yet!
"We're each of us alone, to be sure. What can you do but hold your hand out in the dark?" --"Nine Lives," by Ursula K. Le Guin, from The Wind's Twelve Quarters

vkm91941

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2006, 01:22:13 am »
Do not shout Julie, this is a friendly disagreement not an attack on your credibility. 

I NEVER said anything about disappointing you, I said I DISAGREE....and I do.  The tune is similar as are many from that time period but it is not the same IN MY OPINION.  It certainly is not the same tune I learned for Streets of Laredo when I was in School, the same one my sons learned.

If I learn throught my research that you are right I will be the first to publically state you were right and I was wrong.  Case Closed    Please calm down.   As to the state of your hearing and being tone deaf how would I have any knowledge of that?


Offline opinionista

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2006, 11:09:01 am »
Speaking of Laredo: This is Laredo... SPAIN! The original Laredo, that is. Nothing to do with cowboys (or syphillis)  ;D  Some Spanish conquistadores were from Laredo, now a small city in the province of Cantabria, north of Spain.





« Last Edit: August 10, 2006, 11:13:49 am by opinionista »
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. -Mark Twain.

Offline twistedude

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2006, 08:22:51 pm »
Victoria--when you say "II'm sorry to disappoint you" it means, look, you idiot, you're wrong! ANY FOOL KNOWS THAT! tHE TUNE IS identiical--IT IS NOT LIKE "
STreets of Laredo," it is not SIMILAR TO "Streets of L:aredo" it is the SAME. The reason I got so excited is that for YEARS, I've heard that the song streets of Laredo, which we know as a song about a cowboy who had been shot in the breast and is dying--was ORIGINALLY abiout a young man--NOT necessarily a cowboy--who is dyintg of syphilis. I never heard the words to that song before. It is the same tune, and I assume, it is the song I have heard about for years.; Notice the similar, but very different ":don't muffle your drums, and play your pipes merrily" to "beat the drum slowly and play the pipes lowly." I don;'t know about your ears, but my ear for music is excxellent, and it's the SAME tune...

Incidentally, doesanyone know the "salty words to 'Strawberry Roan'?

« Last Edit: August 10, 2006, 11:39:30 pm by twistedude »
"We're each of us alone, to be sure. What can you do but hold your hand out in the dark?" --"Nine Lives," by Ursula K. Le Guin, from The Wind's Twelve Quarters

vkm91941

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2006, 09:49:46 pm »
Victoria--when you say "II'm sorry to disappoint you" it means, look, you idiot, you're wrong! ANY FOOL KNOWS THAT! tHE TUNE IS idfntical--IT IS NOT LIKE "
STreets of Laredfo," it is not SIMILAR TO "Streets of L:aredo" it is the SAME. The reason I got so excited is that for YEARS, I've heard that the song streets of Laredo, which we know as a song about a cowboy who had been shot in the breast and is dying--was ORIGINALLY abiout a young man--NOT necessarily a cowbvoy--who is dyintg of syphilis. I never heard the words to that song before. It is the same tune, and I assume, it is the song I have heard about for years.; Notice the similar, but very different ":don't muffle your drums, and play your pipes merrily" to "beat the drum slowly and play the pipers lowly." I don;'t know about your ears, but my ear for music is excxellent, and it's the SAME tune...

Incidentally, doesanyone know the "salty words to 'Strawberry Roan'?



Once again Julie, I NEVER said anything about disappointing you and I certainly never called you an idiot. My Momma raise me much better than that.    Take a minute, take a deep breath and read my posts again.  IT's all there in black and white.   I have sent you a PM that I feel is the end of this discussion.  Should you wish to take umbridge with me again kindly use that avenue for it.  Thank You

vkm91941

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Starwberry Roan...
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2006, 09:59:33 pm »
and just because you asked....


The Strawberry Roan

(the salty version is often referred to as The Castration of The Strawberry Roan)

[Horse whinnies and then farts. Someone yells "Whoa!"]

I was hanging 'round town
In a house of ill fame
Laying up with a twister
Of hustling dame

When a hop-headed pimp
With his nose full of coke
Beat me out of the girl
And left me stone-broke

When a stranger walked in
Said he, "Say, my lad
Are you any good riding
Horses that's bad?"

Said I, "You damn right
That's one thing I can do
I'm a second rate pimp
But a good buckaroo.

"Bring on your bad horses
I never saw one
That could set to guessing
Or bother me none."

Said he, "Guess again
There's one horse that I own
You might have heard of him
The strawberry roan."

Well I guess we've all hear of that
of that ball bearing stud
He had the fessudie [?]
And glanders and crud.

He's the worst fucking bronco
That has ever been foaled
He's never been road
And he's twenty years old.

O, that strawberry roan
How many colts has he thrown?
He's got gonorrhea and cankers and syph
He strictured with clap
But his cock is still stiff
That renegade strawberry roan
Well, the upshot of it was
That I found myself hired
To snap out some colts
That great stud had sired.

They were knot-head cayuse's
Just like their Dad
Most of them roans
But all of them bad.

With their feet in my pockets
Those bastards would fight
Till my ass drug my tracks out
Way before night

My balls in my boots
And my mouth full of dung
My ears were all scratch
Where I got my spurs hung

Then the boss came in
He said, that's enough
The strawberry roan's colts
Are too God damned tough

I'm damn sick and tired
Of seeing you taking them falls
Rope that wind-milling stud
And we'll cut out his balls

O, that strawberry roan
We went out to unbend his bone
We built a big loop
And went in the corral
We roped his front feet
He farted and fell
We flattened that strawberry roan
Well, the boss held his head
While I hog-tied his legs
I reached for my jack-knife
And went for his eggs

When I opened his bag
Why, he let out a moan
And he squealed like a pig
When I cut out that stone

But all I could locate
Was one of his nuts
The other was hidden
Some place in his guts

So I rolled up my sleeve
And swimming in blood
I felt for the seed
In the guts of that stud.

I thought that I found it
I felt something pass
But its only a turd
On the way to his ass

Just then I heard one of them
Blood curdling squalls
And I looked and the roan
Had the boss by the balls

Well, I stomped on his head
It was no use
He was just like a bulldog
He wouldn't let loose

So I untied his legs
And he got to his feet
But the boss's voice changed
And I knew he was beat.

O, that strawberry roan
We advise you to leave him alone
He's a knot-headed cayuse
With only one ball
But the boss is a eunuch
With no balls at all
Lay off of that strawberry roan.

[The sound of a fart. Someone yells "Whoa! You son of a bitch!" Horse makes "Awww" sound.]
« Last Edit: August 10, 2006, 10:01:16 pm by Victoria »

Offline twistedude

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2006, 10:37:39 pm »
Victoria---Thank you. What a--mouthful!  "sorry to" usually still means adressee is an idiot. I am not an idiot. And AS sings the tune to "Streets oft Laredo," some of the words of whicfh I have copied above.

toma esta llavita de oro, mi bien,
mira lo que lleva dentro;
toma esta llavita de oro, mi bien,
mira lo que lleva dentro:
lleva amores, lleva celos, mi bien
y un poco de sentiemento.
lleva amores, yeva celos, mi bien,
y un poco de sentiemento.

And you have no idea how sure i am that you will not be reading that anywhere in the near future, cause it's at the top of my next story. See, I do research, too.


Trouble is, I don't know the tune to 'Strawberry Roan.'  So if AS sings it, I won't know...


And I already knew the words to "Streets of Laredo." (At least, as we know it.) Why do you assume that I don't?

Sorry I casnnot type--especiaslly when I get excited. I can't spell, either. None of this, however, means I can't think or hear.



























« Last Edit: August 10, 2006, 11:42:19 pm by twistedude »
"We're each of us alone, to be sure. What can you do but hold your hand out in the dark?" --"Nine Lives," by Ursula K. Le Guin, from The Wind's Twelve Quarters

vkm91941

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2006, 12:21:17 am »
Victoria---Thank you. What a--mouthful!  "sorry to" usually still means adressee is an idiot. I am not an idiot. And AS sings the tune to "Streets oft Laredo," some of the words of whicfh I have copied above.

Well my dear this is again something we are going to have to disagree on.  In my vocabulary "sorry to"  means just what it says, regret to ...I am sorry but I disagree.  In this case the regret arises from several things but first and foremost is that I know how excited you get and I did not wish to upset you...NEVER that I thought you were an idiot.  As for typing..I am the worlds WORST typist so no worries there.  Second I can spell but you can't prove it because of my lousey typing  ;) and believe it or not I am college educated with a 163 IQ but it sure doesn't appear to be the case when reading some of my posts.  So no worries from this front.


Quote
Trouble is, I don't know the tune to 'Strawberry Roan.'  So if AS sings it, I won't know...

Sure you will, at the risk of creating another stir  ::)  because it. like the song that AS sang the other night on Deadwood is in that Very familiar 4/4 rhyming scale that is so common to folk music of that era and sounds very much like The Streets of Laredo.

BTW, how do you feel about the language on Deadwood, not the swearing I could careless about that, but the way they express themselves.  I just love it, it is some of the most colorful and evocative language I have ever heard short of Shakespeare.  Just magnificent.  I watch each episode 2 sometimes 3 times just to listen to the language.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2006, 12:23:03 am by Victoria »

Offline twistedude

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2006, 03:47:53 pm »
Victoria: the lanuage in "Deadwood" is great (not as great as lee's "Ride with the devil," but great).

I have always wondered...I don't know...about the constant use of "fucking." It seems to me that when i was a little girl, (1935-45), even the most profane and obscene speakers didn't use it as often to mean other than--er, fucking. But I may be wrong. Of course it's now used as a sound-filler and a geneeral explitive--but I don't know about then...

My I.Q.'s two points higher than yours...nyeah, nyeah.

I will try to git Strawberry Roan to the Laredo tune--but it doesn't look like a very good match to me.
"We're each of us alone, to be sure. What can you do but hold your hand out in the dark?" --"Nine Lives," by Ursula K. Le Guin, from The Wind's Twelve Quarters

Offline louisev

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2006, 04:17:01 pm »
I did a Google search and turned up a discussion of his episode of "Deadwood" and a question about the song.  The tune is what later became known as the "Cowboy's Lament" but there was a 19th barroom version, apparently... see below for explanation.


> A few episodes ago Al tells Johnnie and Dan about the
> Amateur Nights the acting troupe had in the old days.
> I think Al probably used to be a part of them (his
> s singing voice was very good.)
> The song Al was singing was originally an Irish tune
> called the Bard of Armagh latter in America changed
> to Cowboys Lament but the lyrics/version Al was
> singing was an 19th English barroom version called
> The Unfortunate Rake(or Pills of White Mercury)
> (From Digital Tradition but got a question about an
> old song go to \www.mudcat.org)
> "THE UNFORTUNATE RAKE
>
> As I was a-walking down by St. James' Hospital,
> I was a-walking down by there one day,
> What should I spy but one of my comrades
> All wrapped up in flannel though warm was the day.
>
> I asked him what ailed him, I asked him what failed
> him,
> I asked him the cause of all his complaint.
> "It's all on account of some handsome young woman,
> 'Tis she that has caused me to weep and lament.
>
> "And had she but told me before she disordered me,
> Had she but told me of it in time,
> I might have got pills and salts of white mercury,
> But now I'm cut down in the height of my prime.
>
> "Get six young soldiers to carry my coffin,
> Six young girls to sing me a song,
> And each of them carry a bunch of green laurel
> So they don't smell me as they bear me along.
>
> "Don't muffle your drums and play your fifes
> merrily,
> Play a quick march as you carry me along,
> And fire your bright muskets all over my coffin,
> Saying: There goes an unfortunate lad to his home."

The original song was a traditional Irish folk ballad called
The Bard of Armagh

Oh list' to the tale of a poor Irish harper
And scorn not the string of his old withered hands
But remember those fingers they once could move sharper
To raise up the strains of his dear native land.
It was long before the shamrock, dear isle's lovely emblem
Was crushed in its beauty by the Saxon's lion paw
And all the pretty colleens around me would gather
Call me their bold Phelim Brady, the Bard of Armagh.

How I love to muse on the days of my boyhood
Though four score and three years have fled by them
It's king's sweet reflection that every young joy
For the merry-hearted boys make the best of old men.

At a fair or a wake I would twist my shillelah
And trip through a dance with my brogues tied with straw
There all the pretty maidens around me would gather
Call me their bold Phelim Brady, the Bard of Armagh.

In truth I have wandered this wide world over
Yet Ireland's my home and a dwelling for me
And, oh, let the turf that my old bones shall cover
Be cut from the land that is trod by the free.

And when Sergeant Death in his cold arms doth embrace
And lull me to sleep with old Erin go bragh
By the side of my Kathleen, my dear pride, oh place me
Then forget Phelim Brady, the Bard of Armagh.

So there are many versions of what became known as the "Cowboy's Lament" or "Streets of Laredo" in America, but apparently they all stem from the original Irish tune Bard of Armagh.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2006, 04:35:57 pm by louisev »
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline Ellemeno

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2006, 04:43:27 pm »
I did a Google search and turned up a discussion of his episode of "Deadwood" and a question about the song.  The tune is what later became known as the "Cowboy's Lament"

Looks like Julie was completely right.  :)  You go, Julie.  (But no one did call you an idiot.)

Offline louisev

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #13 on: August 11, 2006, 04:47:27 pm »
yup. yup.
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #14 on: August 11, 2006, 05:39:31 pm »
You know I'd been meaning to reseach Strawberry Roan, thanks for posting that. Interesting thread.
"It was only you in my life, and it will always be only you, Jack, I swear."

vkm91941

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Re: "Streets of :Laredo" WAS about a guy dead ofr syphilis!
« Reply #15 on: August 11, 2006, 06:43:59 pm »
 :D :D :D



Bravo Mz Julie, I bow before your superior ear for tune and tone.  You were right and I was wrong…maybe I’m the one going deef ::) or the very least tone deaf… lol …then again maybe it's those few extra IQ points..  :) good Call