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).
The Banks of the Musselshell
Tom Russell Lyrics
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It leads us ever northwards and tells us that we are
Lost below the Yellowstone in a land unknown to me
Ten thousand miles from loved ones and my home across the sea
We travel through an empty land, the benches are all strewn
With bison bones that shine ghost white with the rising of the moon
The grey wolf howls and answer as i try to sing on guard
When I hired on to Bill Ducharm in the heat of the Texas sun
I was unawares of his darker side or his swiftness with a gun
But I had made a solemn promise to ride with him through hell
And to deliver the herd to the ends of the earth or the mouth of the Musselshell
I turned just about 17 when we hit the first cowtown
I drank my first strong liquor there - and the women spun me 'round
But of all the barroom angels and their soft forbidden charms
I was stuck on Blue-eyed Annie - who belonged to Bill Ducharm
And the boy became a man that night in Annie's arms
But Annie cried and begged me... "Beware of Bill Ducharm"
We left that Texas cowtown and pointed the herd North
But the first night when the moon was down, I rode back to Old Fort Worth
They were closin' down the barroom and rollin' up the floor
My heart was in my throat - as I knocked on Annie's door
And the boy became a man that night in Annie's arms
But Annie cried and begged me... "Beware of Bill Ducharm"
Bill Ducharm had one bad eye - his face was a devil's red
The result of a bygone prairie fire where he'd crawled back from the dead
And every night in dreams as I rolled in Annie's arms
Only to wake to face old Satan - in the guise of Bill Ducharm
And each night 'cross the campfire - I'd face that one bad eye
Did he know that I'd betrayed him? Had my hour come to die?
One promise he did make good - yes, we followed him through hell
Driven by this one-eyed Lucifer towards the banks of the Musselshell
And as we near the Yellowstone, the snow begins to fall
And soon this wretched enterprise shall be ending for us all
It's then I'll need fast horses to fly to Annie's arms
And stay one jump ahead of the guns of Bill Ducharm
The Banks of the Musselshell is a story of a cowboy who signs up with Texan rancher Bill Ducharm to herd cattle up north. The singer, who is thousands of miles away from home and loved ones, sings about his life on the open prairie with a group of Texans. The songwriter Tom Russell has painted a vivid picture of the American West with metaphors like "bison bones that shine ghost white with the rising of the moon" and "driven by this one-eyed Lucifer towards the banks of the Musselshell." As the singer sings about his daily struggles on the trail, he reminisces about a woman named Blue-eyed Annie whom he fell for but belonged to his boss.
The song is a traditional cowboy ballad that tells a tale of love, betrayal, and redemption set against the vastness of the American West. It is a story of a young cowboy's coming of age as he navigates through the treacherous terrain of the Wild West. The lyrics are a poetic journey that captures the soul of the cowboy and his love for the land, the cattle, and the women who lived there. The song portrays the life of cowboys, who often risked their lives to make a living and had to rely on their wit and courage to survive in a hostile environment.
Line by Line Meaning
I stare out every evening at the distant Northern Star
I look at the Northern Star every evening which guides us on our journey.
It leads us ever northwards and tells us that we are
The star guides us north so we know where we are.
Lost below the Yellowstone in a land unknown to me
We are lost in a place I am unfamiliar with, somewhere near Yellowstone.
Ten thousand miles from loved ones and my home across the sea
I am far from my home and loved ones, which are over 10,000 miles away across the sea.
We travel through an empty land, the benches are all strewn
We are passing through a deserted place with scattered benches.
With bison bones that shine ghost white with the rising of the moon
The white bones of bison are visible at night when the moon is up.
The grey wolf howls and answer as i try to sing on guard
Wolves howl and respond while I keep watch and attempt to sing along.
Indentured to these Texans, in a land so wild and hard
I owe my service to these Texans, in a difficult and untamed place.
When I hired on to Bill Ducharm in the heat of the Texas sun
I agreed to work for Bill Ducharm on a hot day in Texas.
I was unawares of his darker side or his swiftness with a gun
I did not know of Bill Ducharm's dark side or how quickly he could use a gun.
But I had made a solemn promise to ride with him through hell
I made a serious commitment to stick with him through even the toughest of situations.
And to deliver the herd to the ends of the earth or the mouth of the Musselshell
I agreed to make sure the herd was taken to the farthest corners of the earth or to the Musselshell river.
I turned just about 17 when we hit the first cowtown
I was almost 17 years old when we arrived at the first cowtown.
I drank my first strong liquor there - and the women spun me 'round
I had my first hard drink there and the women were enchanting.
But of all the barroom angels and their soft forbidden charms
Despite all of the tempting barmaids and their magnetic attractions,
I was stuck on Blue-eyed Annie - who belonged to Bill Ducharm
I was attracted to Annie, who was Bill Ducharm's girlfriend.
And the boy became a man that night in Annie's arms
I became a grown man that night in the embrace of Annie.
But Annie cried and begged me... "Beware of Bill Ducharm"
Annie warned me to be wary of Bill Ducharm.
We left that Texas cowtown and pointed the herd North
We departed the cowtown and headed up north with the herd.
But the first night when the moon was down, I rode back to Old Fort Worth
On the first night when the moon was not shining, I rode back to Old Fort Worth.
They were closin' down the barroom and rollin' up the floor
The barroom was closing and they had finished cleaning up.
My heart was in my throat - as I knocked on Annie's door
I was anxious as I knocked on Annie's door.
Bill Ducharm had one bad eye - his face was a devil's red
Bill Ducharm had one eye that was not functioning properly, and his face was a deep red hue.
The result of a bygone prairie fire where he'd crawled back from the dead
He had survived a severe prairie fire that had nearly killed him.
And every night in dreams as I rolled in Annie's arms
As I slept and was in Annie's embrace, I dreamed of Bill Ducharm.
Only to wake to face old Satan - in the guise of Bill Ducharm
I would wake up to find myself facing Bill Ducharm, who I saw as Satan.
And each night 'cross the campfire - I'd face that one bad eye
Each night around the campfire, I would have to look into Bill Ducharm's damaged eye.
Did he know that I'd betrayed him? Had my hour come to die?
I was afraid that Bill Ducharm knew that I had betrayed him and that he would kill me.
One promise he did make good - yes, we followed him through hell
Bill Ducharm kept one promise - that we would follow him despite any difficulties.
Driven by this one-eyed Lucifer towards the banks of the Musselshell
We were pushed by Bill Ducharm, who I saw as a one-eyed devil, toward the Musselshell river.
And as we near the Yellowstone, the snow begins to fall
As we get closer to Yellowstone, it starts to snow.
And soon this wretched enterprise shall be ending for us all
Our miserable expedition is almost over for all of us.
It's then I'll need fast horses to fly to Annie's arms
At that point, I will need to quickly get to Annie to be with her.
And stay one jump ahead of the guns of Bill Ducharm
I will need to avoid Bill Ducharm's wrath and stay ahead of him.
Contributed by Bentley N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.