The Sons of the Pioneers did several songs for the John Ford movies Wagon Master (in 1949) and Rio Grande in (1950).
The six members who made the Sons of the Pioneers famous in the late 1930s with their close-harmonied western style music were elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1995, they were inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In 1977, the Smithsonian designated the Sons of the Pioneers as "national treasures". Through many changes to the line-up, the Sons of the Pioneers have continued to perform.
Blue Shadows On The Trail
Sons Of The Pioneers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the wind begins to sigh
And the world's silhouetted against the sky
Blue shadows on the trail
Blue moon shinin' through the trees
And a plain tiff wail from the distance
Comes a driftin' on the evening breeze
Move along, blue shadows, move along
Soon the dawn will come and you'll be on your way
Until the darkness sheds its veil
There'll be, blue shadows on the trail
Move along, blue shadows, move along
Soon the dawn will come and you'll be on your way
Until the darkness sheds its veil
There'll be, blue shadows on the trail
Shadows on the trail
The opening lyrics to "Blue Shadows On The Trail" by Sons of the Pioneers set a mood of impending darkness and a sense of loneliness. The singer observes the world around them as the shadows of night begin to fall, while the wind creates a melancholic sigh. The world is just a silhouette against the sky, and there is a blue tint to everything, highlighting the sad feeling of the song. The blue moon is shining through the trees, which is a symbol of the mysterious unknown. The singer hears a plaintive wail from the distance, carried on the evening breeze. This creates a sense of longing for something lost or something that will never come back again. As the Blue Shadows move along, the singer is reminded that time moves inexorably toward dawn and eventually, the night will pass.
Line by Line Meaning
Shades of night are falling
The darkness of night is approaching
As the wind begins to sigh
The wind is starting to blow, creating a mournful sound
And the world's silhouetted against the sky
The landscape can be seen as dark shadows against the sky
Blue shadows on the trail
Dark blue shadows cast by the moon on the path
Blue moon shinin' through the trees
The moon is shining through the trees, casting a blue light
And a plain tiff wail from the distance
A sad, plaintive wail can be heard in the distance
Comes a driftin' on the evening breeze
The sound is carried through the air by the evening breeze
Move along, blue shadows, move along
The shadows are urged to move along
Soon the dawn will come and you'll be on your way
When the sun rises, the shadows will disappear
Until the darkness sheds its veil
As long as it remains dark
There'll be, blue shadows on the trail
The blue shadows will continue to exist on the path
Shadows on the trail
Dark shadows cast on the path
Lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company
Written by: ELIOT DANIEL, JOHNNY LANGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tony Atwood
Absolutely beautiful song, and a wonderful singing group. I have that fantastic brilliantly animated walt Disney cartoon, Melody Time, and The Sons Of The Pioneers, feature in The Story Of Pecos Bill. Its absolutely priceless! I wish I couldve been a teenager in those years, when The Sons Of The Pioneers were at their peak! Nostalgia, it's just the best, to compare the world we,re living in today
Rayna Klessig
Soothing melody is perfect for rocking my grandson to sleep. Grandma's favorite lullaby..
Livinlaguna
This song brings back so many memories of road trips with my parents...love it. Makes me cry though.
Judy W
This was one of the songs I used as background music in a video I made for my uncle's memorial recently. He was a country and western musician in his younger days and loved this song. This song comforts me when I think of him.
Alice Long
Judy W when my father-in-law died, we used “The Streets of Laredo.” I’ve always love this song, too. There aren’t many of us anymore who like the old western songs. I didn’t like him till later in my life. Love them now.
Glenn Johnson
Glenn Johnson This is one of my all time favourites of the Pioneers.That last note at the end of the whipporwhill just gets to me,no matter how many times i hear this.Think of my late mum everytime.Thanks for this.
Roy Bodden
I remember as a child seeing Pacos Bill and being mesmerized with Roy and The sins of the pioneers singing this song! Happy memories!
PrincessDreamActress
I heard them sing it in the Disney classic "Melody Time", and it makes me smile, listening to them sing it here.
Ludovica Gianella
Mee too! Greetings from Italy!
Will D.
Me 3! Prelude to Pecos Bill.