Welcome to the website of Lou Yeidel

doing business as Shining Armour Records

Lyrics for Calico Silver
by Michael Martin Murphy

Michael Martin Murphy, the "Cowboy Poet" set his own course away from the mainstream music business to preserve the way of life and musical heritage of the cowboy. This early song shows the intimacy with which he understands the plight of the common man.
A great story song.

No rain and the weather got warm

Broke down and I sold my farm

Headed for the silver strike,

I took my wife

Calico silver gave us life.

 

You could hear the miners sing

When they made their hammers ring

You could hear them singing out

Oh, when they found

Calico silver underground

 

Pave the streets with silver

Let the wagons roll

Don't those mountains look just like

Calico.

 

Fifteen years down in the mines

I watched the silver shine

Listened to the big wheels churn

They were turned

By Calico silver that we earned.

 

Days were short and the laughter was long

Nails in the pine were strong

We thought nothing could go wrong

Not counting on

Calico silver to be gone.

 

Pave the streets with silver

Let the wagons roll

Don't those mountains look just like

Calico.

 

No ore in the richest mine

Railroad closed down the line

Nail up your windows and your doors.

Close the stores

Calico Silver is no more

 

Got my wagon ready to go

Been a hundred years and more

Since we hitched up our team

And it seems Calico silver

Was a dream

To order the album or just to get in touch, e-mail Lou at lou@yeidel.co.uk

You can also write to:
Shining Armour Records
3/3 Silver Street
Hawick, Scotland
TD9 0AD

Song List

To listen, download tracks or buy the CD, go to:

Buy the CD

or

Early Morning Rain
Bird On The Wire
Colorado Exile
Calico Silver
Across the Borderline
Cherokee Fiddle
Me and My Uncle
The Land of Plenty
Pancho and Lefty
Rain
Boys in the Band
Millworker
Late Show
In My Secret Life