Tyson and his then-wife Sylvia Fricker constituted one of the most popular folk duos of the 1960s, Ian & Sylvia. In 1969, they formed and fronted the pioneering country-rock group Great Speckled Bird.
Tyson gradually shifted to the cowboy way while still with Sylvia, accentuating the western life through song. Residing on a ranch in southern Alberta, Tyson toured all over the west.
In 1989, Tyson was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. His next albums were cowboy music: I Outgrew the Wagon (1989), And Stood There Amazed (1991), and Eighteen Inches of Rain (1994).
In 2005, CBC Radio One listeners chose his song, "Four Strong Winds," as the greatest Canadian song of all time on the series 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version. There was strong momentum for him to be nominated the Greatest Canadian, but he fell short. He has been a strong influence on many Canadian artists including Neil Young, who recorded "Four Strong Winds" for Comes a Time (1978). Johnny Cash would also record that same song for American V: A Hundred Highways (2006).
In 2006, Tyson was afflicted with a throat virus resulting in damaged vocal cords and a major change in the texture of his once mellifluous voice into a far hoarser quality. Nevertheless he cut the album, "From Yellowhead to Yellowstone and Other Love Stories" in 2008.
Windy Bill
Ian Tyson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he could rope, you bet
The steer that Windy hadn′t tied
He had not met him yet
But the boys they talked of a little black steer
Who's a kind of a bad outlaw
Who lived way down at the bottoms
Well, this old black steer had stood his ground
With punchers from everywhere
The boys give Windy two-to-one
That he could not quite get there
So Windy takes out his old roan horse
Who′s withers and like to roar
And prepares to tackle that little black brute
That lives down in the draw
Ow!
With his sam slick tree, his brazos bits
His chaps and taps to boot
And his old Macguey tied hard and fast
Bill goes to tackle the brute
And the little rope horse he sauntered around
And that steer began to paw
Then he stuck his tail straight up in the air
And he heads down through the draw
Well, Windy's horse went after him
Like-a he'd been eatin′ corn
Windy stuck that old Macguey
Right around that black steer′s horns
And the little ropin' horse he shut it right down
And the cinches bust like straw
And the old macguey and the sam slick tree
Went driftin′ down the draw
Wow
Well-a Windy lands in the big rock pile
And his face and hands are scratched
Well, he said he could always rope the steer
But he guess he'd met his match
And he pays his debts like a little old man
Without no bit of jaw
And allows old black steer was the boss
Of everything in that draw
Well, the moral of the story boys
Is very plain to see
When you go out to rope your steer
Don′t you tie hard your macguey
But you take your dallies like a man
To the California law
And you won't see your old rimfire
Go driftin′ down the draw
The song Windy Bill is a story about a Texas cowboy named Windy Bill who was known for his roping skills. The song opens with the statement that Windy Bill was indeed a skilled roper who could rope any steer he met. The story then moves on to a conversation between Bill and a group of boys about a little black steer that lived down at the bottoms, whom everybody knew to be a bad outlaw. The boys, doubting Windy's abilities, give him two-to-one odds that he would not be able to rope the black steer down in the rocky draw.
Windy takes out his old roan horse, puts on his gear including the sam slick tree, brazos bits, chaps, and taps to tackle the black steer. However, Windy's horse charges down after the little black steer and manages to catch him by the horns with the Macguey. The cinches on the saddle burst open and it all goes downhill from here. Windy falls off his horse and lands in a big rock pile with his face and hands scratched. He acknowledges that he met his match and pays the debt like a little old man with no grudges. The moral of the story is that one should never tie their Macguey too hard and should always take their dallies like a man to avoid the roping gear from drifting away.
The song Windy Bill is based on real-life events. Ian Tyson, the songwriter, learned about the story from a Californian cowboy named Slim Green who was one of the characters in the song. The song was written as a tribute to the earlier days of the cowboy era. It was first recorded in 1967 and was later included in Ian Tyson's 1983 album Cowboyography. The song has since become a cowboy classic and has been covered by many artists.
Line by Line Meaning
Well Windy Bill was a Texas man
The story begins by introducing the singer and the fact that he is from Texas.
And he could rope, you bet
Windy Bill was a skilled roper.
The steer that Windy hadn't tied, he had not met him yet
Windy Bill had successfully roped every steer he had ever encountered.
But the boys they talked of a little black steer who's a kind of a bad outlaw who lived way down at the bottoms at the foot of a rocky draw
There was a notorious black steer that had intimidated other cowboys and lived in a difficult location.
Well, this old black steer had stood his ground with punchers from everywhere
Even experienced cowboys had failed to rope the black steer.
The boys give Windy two-to-one that he could not quite get there
Despite his reputation as a skilled roper, the other cowboys doubted that Windy Bill could successfully rope the black steer.
So Windy takes out his old roan horse who's withers and like to roar and prepares to tackle that little black brute that lives down in the draw
Windy Bill selects his trusted horse and prepares to attempt to rope the intimidating black steer.
With his sam slick tree, his brazos bits, his chaps and taps to boot and his old Macguey tied hard and fast, Bill goes to tackle the brute
Windy Bill equips himself with various tools, including his rope, to prepare for the challenge ahead.
And the little rope horse he sauntered around and that steer began to paw, then he stuck his tail straight up in the air and he heads down through the draw
Windy Bill's horse and the black steer engage, with the latter beginning to act aggressively.
Well, Windy's horse went after him like-a he'd been eatin′ corn
Windy Bill's horse pursued the black steer with ease and determination.
Windy stuck that old Macguey right around that black steer's horns
Windy Bill successfully roped the black steer.
And the little ropin' horse he shut it right down and the cinches bust like straw and the old macguey and the sam slick tree went driftin′ down the draw
The rope broke and the saddle equipment went flying as the black steer attempted to escape.
Well-a Windy lands in the big rock pile and his face and hands are scratched
Windy Bill fell off his horse and was injured as a result.
Well, he said he could always rope the steer but he guess he'd met his match
Despite his confidence, Windy Bill acknowledges that the black steer was a formidable opponent.
And he pays his debts like a little old man without no bit of jaw and allows old black steer was the boss of everything in that draw
Windy Bill humbly accepts the fact that the black steer was the dominant presence in the area.
Well, the moral of the story boys is very plain to see
The song concludes with a moral lesson for the listeners to heed.
When you go out to rope your steer don't you tie hard your macguey
The lesson is to not tie the rope too tightly, or else the equipment may break.
But you take your dallies like a man to the California law and you won't see your old rimfire go driftin′ down the draw
Instead, the advice is to take your time and handle the process with skill to avoid losing the rope equipment and potentially injuring yourself or others.
Writer(s): Ian Tyson
Contributed by Lucas L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Les Niedbalski
on Road to Las Cruces
Does the wind still blow
in New Mexico?
Do the silver candelabras yet shine?
Is Kathrine still queen of El Paso?
Never to be yours, never to be mine.
Out of reach like the pale moon that shines, on the road to Las Cruces.
On a high plateau, out off Antone she goes.
I see the dust of a herd moving through.
The dream and the lights softly fading,
The horses will not stay, they wish to go with her.
Riding for Alex Corone, on the road to Las Vegas.
The line of desire, seven strands of barbed wire
will hold back the on rushing tide.
Many dreams have been brought to the border,
down in the canyons, down in the culverts.
They pray for safe passage tonight, on the trail to Albuquerque.
I crossed over a toll, I stood there alone, looking in to the heart of the night.
Across that dark plain to El Paso,
Where Kathrine sleeps, Kathrine dreams.
Out of reach like the pale moon that shines, on the road to Las Cruces.
Alex Marcin
on The Wonder of It All
I think it is "where the rimrock meets the sky"