Page 6
WINTER OF 29 By Steven Lewis - 1973
G
'Twas the winter of '29
Me and Jake was a-riding the line,
C G
And I'll tell you it was cold now.
Came across a bit of frost,
Nearly lost my beaver and hoss
F C G
It was a fine time dreamin' of the Texas sun.
G
Well, I wish I could have a whole pocketfull of Texas sun.
G
Looked around for a restin' spot,
Fingers so cold you couldn't tie a knot.
C G
So we setteled down for a long cold restless snooze.
Came about the time the moon rose,
Heard a sound, it nearly froze my toes
F C G
It was a big ole brown bear, a grizzly bear, Ole Griz!
D
Well, I jumped out there in the knee-deep snow,
C G
And I swung my rifle 'round.
D
Caught him in the chin just below the nose,
C D
He went a-bellowin' like a hound,
G
Jake woke up from the noise outside,
Said he'd never had a better sleep in his life,
C G
So we put on a pot of that coffee boiled black as night.
Packed up the mules like we always do,
And we headed on down to the rendezvous,
F C G
It was a fine time for dreamin' of the Texas sun.
F C G
Well, I wish I could have got a whole pocketfull of Texas sun.
Steve Lewis wrote "Winter of '29" in 1973 while he was a member
of the staff at Cypher's Mine camp.
Page 7
SLEWFOOT
G
High on a mountain tell me what do you see?
G C G
Bear tracks, bear tracks, looking back at me.
G
Better find a ranger, boys, before it's too late.
C G
Cause that bear's got all our food and headin' for the gate.
Chorus
G D G
Well, he's big around the middle and he's broad across the rump.
G D G
Running ninety miles an hour taking thirty feet a jump.
G
He ain't never been caught; he ain't never been treed.
C G
Some folks say he's a lot like me.
Freeze-dried pork chops, crackers and cheeze,
We put 'em in a bear bag and hung 'em in a tree.
Looked in the trees and our rations were gone
Ole Slewfoot's done made himself at home.
Chorus
Well, I got me a ranger and I got me a gun.
We found ole Slewfoot and got him on the run.
Chased him up a holler and down a well,
We shot him in the bottom just to listen to him yell.
Chorus
Page 8
AIN'T NO BEARS IN ARKANSAS By Steve Fromholz
G Em C
Well, some folks say there ain't be bears in Arkansas
F C G
Some folks say there ain't no bears at all.
C Em C
Some folks say the bears go around eatin' babies raw.
F C G
And some folks got a bear across the hall.
Some folks say that the bears go around smellin' bad
Others say that a bear is honey sweet
Some folks say this bear's the best I've ever had
And some folks got a bear rug beneath their feet.
CHORUS
G Em C
So meet a bear and take him out to lunch with you
F C G
Even though your friends may stop and stare.
G Em
Just remember there's a bear there, where?, over there in the
C
bunch with you.
F C G
Well they just don't come no better than a bear.
Some folks drive the bears out of the wilderness
Others to see a bear will pay a fee.
Me, I'll just bear up to my bewildered best
Some folks even see the bear in me.
CHORUS
Page 9
THE BEAR
The other day I met a bear (repeat)
Out in the woods away out there (repeat)
He looked at me; I looked at him (repeat)
He sized up me; I sized up him (repeat)
He said to me why don't you run (repeat)
I see you ain't got any gun (repeat)
And so I ran right out of there (repeat)
But right behind me was the bear (repeat)
Ahead of me I spied a tree (repeat)
A great big tree, oh lucky me (repeat)
The lowest branch was ten feet up (repeat)
I'd have to jump and trust my luck (repeat)
And so I jumped into the air (repeat)
But right behind me was that bear (repeat)
Now don't you fret and don't you frown (repeat)
Cause I caught that branch on the way back down (repeat)
This is the end there ain't no more (repeat)
Unless I meet that bear once more. (repeat)
