In the 1980s Russell made four albums credited to the Tom Russell Band. These featured Andrew Hardin and accordionist Fats Kaplin.
In the 1990s Russell made a number of solo albums, collaborated with blues singer Barrence Whitfield on two albums, and also recorded an acoustic album mixing original material with his favorite cowboy-themed songs. His albums include several guest appearances from other folk, country, and Americana artists, such as Chris Gaffney and Dave Alvin. His song "Outbound Plane", co-written with Nanci Griffith, became a Top Ten country hit for Suzy Bogguss. His most significant album from this period is the 1999 folk opera, The Man From God Knows Where.
His more recent albums include "Blood and Candle Smoke" (2009) and "Mesabi" (2011).
Claude Dallas
Tom Russell Lyrics
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Where rivers run and disappear the mustang still is free.
By the Devil's wash and coyote hole in the wild Owyhee Range
Somewhere in the sage tonight the wind calls out his name.
Aye, aye, aye.
Come gather 'round me buckaroos and a story I will tell
Of the fugitive Claude Dallas who just broke out of jail.
You might think this tale is history from before the West was won,
But the events that I'll describe took place in nineteen eighty-one.
He was born out in Virginia, left home when school was through;
In the deserts of Nevada he became a buckaroo,
And he learned the ways of cattle, and he learned to sit a horse,
And he always packed a pistol, and he practiced deadly force.
Then Claude he became a trapper, and he dreamed of the bygone days,
And he studied bobcat logic and their wild and silent ways
In the bloody runs near Paradise, in monitors down south
Trapping cats and coyotes, living hand to mouth.
Aye, aye, aye.
Then Claude took to livin' all alone out many miles from town,
A friend Jim Stevens--brought supplies and he stayed to hang around.
That day two wardens Pogue and Elms rode into check Claude out,
They were seeking violations and to see what Claude's about.
Now Claude had hung some venison, he had a bobcat pelt or two;
Pogue claimed they were out of season, he said "Dallas, you're all thru."
But Dallas would not leave his camp. He refused to go to town.
As the wind howled throught the bull-camp they stared each other down.
Its hard to say what happend next, perhaps we'll never know,
They were gonna take Claude in to jail, and he vowed he'd never go.
Jim Stevens heard the gunfire, and when he turned around
Bill Pogue was falling backwards, Conley Elms he fell face down.
Aye, aye, aye.
Jim stevens walked on over;there was a gun near Bill Pogue's hand.
It was hard to say who drawn his first, but Claude had made his stand.
Claude said "I am justified Jim, they were gonna cut me down,
And a man's got a right to hang some meat
When he's livin' this far from town."
It took eighteen men and fifteen months to finally run Claude down.
In the sage outside of Paradise they drove him to the ground.
Convicted up in Idaho manslaughter by decree
Thirty years at maximum, but soon Claude would break free.
There's two sides two this story, there may be no right or wrong,
The lawman and the renegade have graced a thousand songs.
The story is an old one. Conclusion's hard to draw,
But Claude's out in the sage tonight he may be the last outlaw.
Aye, aye, aye.
In a land the Spanish once had called the Northern Mystery,
Where rivers run and disappear the mustang still is free.
By the Devil's wash and the coyote hole in the wild Owyhee Range
Somewhere in the sage tonight the wind calls out his name.
Aye, aye, aye
The song "Claude Dallas" by Tom Russell tells the story of a real-life character by the same name. Claude Dallas was a trapper and former buckaroo who lived in the deserts of Nevada. He was known for his deadly force which he had honed through his experience with cattle and horses. However, he became infamous in 1981 when two game wardens confronted him for trapping out of season. When they tried to take him into custody, Dallas refused and the confrontation turned deadly. Both wardens were shot and killed.
Dallas fled into the wilderness and became a fugitive from justice. It took eighteen men and fifteen months to finally run him down. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to thirty years in prison. However, after only eleven years behind bars, Dallas broke out of prison and disappeared. He was never recaptured and his fate remains unknown. The song presents both sides of the story, highlighting the tension between the lawman and the renegade.
The lyrics of the song are filled with vivid imagery of the western landscape, from the wild Owyhee Range to the mustangs running free. The chorus "aye, aye, aye" provides a haunting refrain that echoes through the wilderness. The song captures the spirit of the American West and the allure of the outlaw.
Line by Line Meaning
In a land the Spanish once had called the Northern Mystery,
In a place that was once a mystery to the Spanish explorers,
Where rivers run and disappear the mustang still is free.
Where the mustangs run freely and the rivers flow underground.
By the Devil's wash and coyote hole in the wild Owyhee Range
Near the Devil's Wash and Coyote Hole in the untamed Owyhee Mountains.
Somewhere in the sage tonight the wind calls out his name.
The wind whispers his name tonight in the sagebrush.
Come gather 'round me buckaroos and a story I will tell
Listen closely, you cowboys, and I'll tell you a tale.
Of the fugitive Claude Dallas who just broke out of jail.
About the escaped criminal, Claude Dallas.
You might think this tale is history from before the West was won,
You may think this story is from the early days of the Wild West.
But the events that I'll describe took place in nineteen eighty-one.
But these events happened as recently as 1981.
He was born out in Virginia, left home when school was through;
Claude Dallas was born in Virginia and left home after finishing school.
In the deserts of Nevada he became a buckaroo,
He became a cowboy in the deserts of Nevada.
And he learned the ways of cattle, and he learned to sit a horse,
He became skilled at herding cattle and riding horses.
And he always packed a pistol, and he practiced deadly force.
He carried a gun and was not afraid to use it.
Then Claude he became a trapper, and he dreamed of the bygone days,
Claude became a trapper and longed for the past.
And he studied bobcat logic and their wild and silent ways
He learned the behavior and movements of bobcats.
In the bloody runs near Paradise, in monitors down south
He trapped cats and coyotes in the Paradise area and southern monitors.
Trapping cats and coyotes, living hand to mouth.
He trapped animals for survival, living off the land.
Then Claude took to livin' all alone out many miles from town,
Claude isolated himself many miles away from civilization.
A friend Jim Stevens--brought supplies and he stayed to hang around.
His friend Jim Stevens would bring him supplies and spend time with him.
That day two wardens Pogue and Elms rode into check Claude out,
One day, Wardens Pogue and Elms came to visit and inspect his campsite.
They were seeking violations and to see what Claude's about.
They were looking for evidence of wrongdoing by Claude.
Now Claude had hung some venison, he had a bobcat pelt or two;
Claude had hung some deer meat and had a few bobcat pelts.
Pogue claimed they were out of season, he said "Dallas, you're all thru."
Pogue accused him of breaking hunting laws, informing him he was in trouble.
But Dallas would not leave his camp. He refused to go to town.
Claude refused to leave his camp and go to town to face the charges.
As the wind howled throught the bull-camp they stared each other down.
As the wind blew and the tension rose, they locked eyes in a stare down.
Its hard to say what happend next, perhaps we'll never know,
What happened next is uncertain, it may never be known.
They were gonna take Claude in to jail, and he vowed he'd never go.
They intended to take Claude to jail, but he swore he would never go.
Jim Stevens heard the gunfire, and when he turned around
Jim Stevens heard gunshots and turned to see what happened.
Bill Pogue was falling backwards, Conley Elms he fell face down.
Bill Pogue fell backwards and Conley Elms fell face down.
Jim Stevens walked on over; there was a gun near Bill Pogue's hand.
Jim Stevens approached and saw a gun near Bill Pogue's hand.
It was hard to say who drawn his first, but Claude had made his stand.
It was unclear who fired first, but Claude had defended himself.
Claude said "I am justified Jim, they were gonna cut me down,
Claude told Jim that he was justified because they were going to kill him.
And a man's got a right to hang some meat, when he's livin' this far from town."
"A man has the right to hunt for food when he's living so far from civilization."
It took eighteen men and fifteen months to finally run Claude down.
It took a team of eighteen men fifteen months to catch Claude.
In the sage outside of Paradise they drove him to the ground.
In the sagebrush outside of Paradise, they finally caught him.
Convicted up in Idaho manslaughter by decree
Claude was convicted of manslaughter in a trial in Idaho.
Thirty years at maximum, but soon Claude would break free.
He was sentenced to thirty years, but he escaped soon after.
There's two sides two this story, there may be no right or wrong,
There are two perspectives to this story, and it's difficult to determine right from wrong.
The lawman and the renegade have graced a thousand songs.
The interaction between the lawman and the renegade is a common theme in many songs.
The story is an old one. Conclusion's hard to draw,
This is a familiar story, but it's difficult to come to a conclusion.
But Claude's out in the sage tonight he may be the last outlaw.
Tonight, Claude may be the last remaining outlaw in the sagebrush.
Aye, aye, aye.
A reference to a mournful, western-style cry or lament.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: IAN TYSON, TOM RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind