Album: Skull & Roses (1971)

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• Me and my uncle went riding down
  South Colorado, West Texas bound
  We stopped over in Santa Fe
  That being the point just about half way
  And you know it was the
  Hottest part of the day
  
  I took the horses up to the stall
  Went to the barroom, ordered drinks for all
  Three days in the saddle
  You know my body hurt
  It being summer, I took off my shirt
  And I tried to wash off
  Some of that dusty dirt
  
  West Texas cowboys, they's all around
  With liquor and money, they're loaded down
  So soon after payday, know it seemed a shame
  You know my uncle, he starts a friendly game
  High-low jack and the winner take the hand
  
  My uncle starts winning cowboys got sore
  One of them called him, and then two more
  Accused him of cheating oh no, it couldn't be
  I know my uncle, he's as honest as me
  And I'm as honest as a Denver man can be
  
  One of them cowboys, he starts to draw
  And I shot him down, lord he never saw
  Shot me another, oh damn he won't grow old
  In the confusion, my uncle grabbed the gold
  And we high tailed it down to Mexico
  
  I love those cowboys, I love their gold
  I loved my uncle, god rest his soul
  Taught me good, Lord, taught me all I know
  Taught me so well, I grabbed that gold
  And I left his dead ass there
  By the side of the road Writer/s: John Phillips
  Publisher: Spirit Music Group
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 7

• Patrick from Bushnell, Floridato Barry from New York, I appreciate your skepticism but among artists, these things happen. Joe Ely tells how he wrote a song called Indian Cowboy after a show when he was in Oklahoma. He recorded it on a tape and went to bed. He says he forgot about it. Some time later, he said he was driving down I-35 in Austin with the radio on and he hear Guy Clark singing a song about an Indian Cowboy. He says, I really dug it. So I called Guy and said, Guy, that song Indian Cowboy. I love it. To which he said Guy replied, "You should, Joe. You wrote it."' Huh? His producer kept custody of the tape and when Guy was looking for a song to cover on an album he was recording the producer gave it to Guy. Clark liked it and recorded it. Now it is a regular at Joe Ely's shows, since he re-discovered it. These things happen.
• Derek from Livingston, MtTo Barry in New York: About your comment concerning Me And My Uncle not landing "onto an LP until 1971." This is incorrect. Dino Valenti recorded it on his LP, "Dino Valente" (sic) in 1968.
• Barry from New York, NcI just don't buy John Phillips' own account that he forgot that he wrote his own song. The song seems too intricate and complex for someone to write on the spot and forget about instantly. Probably John Phillips was just being modest.
• Karl from Fairfield, PaThis song was played live 605 times between 1966 and 1995 making it the Grateful Dead's most performed song.
• Barry from New York, NcThis song was included in the Dead's repetoir since 1966 but did not land onto an LP until 1971 when it was included on the GRATEFUL DEAD (Skull and Roses) album. It was doubtful that few in the audience actually knew the title of the song. At one 1970 concert, someone in the audience kept shouting for a tune called "West Texas Cowboy."
• Mike from Philadelphia, PaKevin from Reading, PA forgot about "Mexicali Blues" , a song that Weir co-wrote with best buddy John Perry Barlow.
• Kevin from Reading , PaDead co-lead vocalist Bob Weir has a penchant for singing these western songs, others Weir has covered either with the Dead or his own bands include Johnny Cash's "Big River," and a pair of Marty Robbins tunes, "El Paso" and "Big Iron."
  (Kevin C., Reading, PA)

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