Craig-O Ringland - Singer, Songwriter & Musician; Songs from the Saddle - Songs from the Saddle

Craig-O Ringland
Songwriter & Performer

Songs from the Saddle - Lyrics

Santa Fe Jane
Craig-O Ringland 6/96

I've been a Rider and a Roper and the driver of a cattle train,
I've rode from Reno down to Tucumcari, in forty days of pouring rain,
And I've met some women and seen some ladies in the towns along the way,
But the one I love most of all is a girl named Santa Fe Jane.

Now she can ride them, and she can rope them, she knows how to take them down as fast as the best,
And she's heard all of the stories and all of the tales, by the Cowboys who ride the west,
Now she's been a waiting and she's been a praying for a Cowboy to come riding along,
A man that loves her right, day and night and won't do Santa Fe no wrong

And she hears him calling...
Santa Fe - I want you, oh would you come a ride with me,
And Santa Fe - I need you, you're the only girl of my dreams,
And Santa Fe, well I love you, and I'd like you to be my wife,
You know I'll love you right, day and night, and I'll never do you no wrong.

Well I came a riding into town one day, that's when I first saw Santa Fe,
And I'd spent my whole life, out searching for a wife and praying for this very day,
Well we got to talking, and then we went walking, and we even rolled around in the hay,
And it was then I knew, that my dream was true and my girl was Santa Fe Jane.

Interlude

Now she looked like an Angel, in her white dress as she walked down the isle towards me,
We held our hands real tight, with all of our might while the Preacher he read us our vows,
Well then I kissed her and I held her and I whispered I love you into her ear,
Then we rode off to the west in a beautiful sunset, just me and Santa Fe Jane.

And then I told her...
Santa Fe - I love you, oh would you always ride with me,
And Santa Fe - I need you, you're the only girl in my dreams,
And Santa Fe - well I love you, I love you, and I'm glad that you are my wife,
You know I'll love you right, day and night, and I'll never do you no wrong.

The Old Oak Tree
Craig-O Ringland 4/97

It's a sunny day in July, as she rides off in the wind,

She's headed down to that Old Oak Tree, she's gonna to meet up with him again,

They've been coming here for years now, she hears his gallop just down the road,

Two kids with a passion, filled with the dreams that they both hold.

Well they sit under that Old Oak Tree and they talk about their day,

And how her Daddy the rich man, well he really don't want to let them play,

Well you know she comes from money, huh - and that's all her Daddy wants,

But he's just a hired Ranch Hand, from a Pappy that drinks a lot.

Chorus:

Some days, you don't know where you're going,

You can only tell where you've been,

And sometimes this whole world it seems against you,

Well it's then - you've got to feel that love within.

One day when she was in town and her Daddy he was on a roll,

The Ranch Hand's drunken Pappy came to the Bar for some afternoon skoal,

Well the rich man he cut him down and he told him that his life was dirt,

The drunk just stared at him and said; "But its You that's going to get to Hell First!"

Then her Daddy he told her, You never see that man's Son again,

If I've told you a thousand times, that boy ain't gonna never be kin.

So she saddled up and met him down by that big Old Oak Tree,

Then the two of them they rode off to be who that can and free

That Was Then
Craig-O Ringland 6/2000

We were sitting in our lawn chairs, looking to the west,

And the sun is out there, hanging kind of low.

A couple of glasses of Sangria, and Jimmy Buffet on our radio, on our radio...

This is the place we would come, just to get away, we'd dance to the music all night long,

And make sweet love under the stars so high above,

In the morning the sun would rise and we'd go back home, we'd go back home.

Chorus:

You and me dancing with Sangria, and the sweet loving all night long,

Sometimes we had to wonder how long could this go on,

Yes that's right we'd wonder, could it go on, it could go on (couldn't on 4th verse)

Then we were married and got to work on a family, had a pretty little Girl and a mighty handsome Boy,

A dog and the backyard and some fish swimming in a bowl,

In the morning I'd go to work, at night I'd come back home, I'd come back home.

One day we were just sitting around, wondering what to do,
The kids had grown and gone out on their own,

So I packed up the pick-up, and you locked up the doors,

Then we drove to that place we'd been twenty years before, twenty years before.

Now I'm sitting in my lawn chair, looking to the west,
And the suns still out there, hanging kind of low,
A glass of Sangria for the memories, and Jimmy Buffet's on my radio, playing on my radio...

Kodi McPherson
Craig-O Ringland 10/96

Cody McPherson, boy he's a rider, he rides his broomstick horse a thousand miles a day,
Well he rides with the Ranchers and he rides the old stage lines,
He rides till his Mother, she calls him in for the night.

Then Kodi sits in his bedroom, reading the stories, of old Cowboy legends who've all rode away,
And young Kodi McPherson, he puts his head on the pillow,
Lets the dreams of the Cowboy's - ride him into the night.

Chorus:
And Oh Kodi, boy you can ride them,
You ride till the sunshine, it goes away in the west,
And Oh Kodi, your dreams will come true Boy,
Cause Billy and Doc, they would want it that way.

As Kodi he grew older, his dreams they didn't vanish, so he left his job in the city one day,
Then he drove out to see a rancher, and he shared him his story,
The Rancher saddled up a horse and sent Kodi on his way.

Old Kodi he took to riding to those places in the west, Tombstone and Tucson were the two he knew best,
Well he rode till that sun, it sank low on the horizon,
Then Ol' Kodi McPherson, he dreamed of Cowboy's that night.

Coming Along
Craig-O Ringland 10/03

Life - she's got her changes, her bumpy roads & her ups and downs,
Seems like you're always chasing one end to see the other end come peeking around,
By the time you've got her figured out well there's something new beginning to brew,
When will the changes stop - and give me a chance to live life too.

Chorus:
I can clearly see, where I've been & the places that I have gone,
The friends who've stuck it out, & the others who've moved along,
Looking back seems like a photograph, all my memories are carved in stone,
It's looking forward, that's a different view, I'm only guessing - what's Coming Along...

Seems things been hitting close to home, like my world's turned upside down,
What I thought was forever stopped quick - like a big ship that's run a ground,
I ask myself why these things they happen, and what I've done to bring them on,
I only hope there's a lesson in it somewhere, a lesson that's going to make (build) me strong.

Guess I'll navigate by my intuition, as I start-off each new day,
Thinking of the past but looking forward - to the new things along the way,
Always asking the questions of Why things "Are" and - What they will "Be",
Looking for an answer that is missing, knowing the future is where it will be,
Searching for an answer that is missing, looking to the future to bring it to me.

Against the Law
Craig-O Ringland 6/97

He sits high upon his saddle and carries a Big gun,
It's been nearly 20 years now, since he's been on the run.
He's laid low up in Rock Springs and on down to Guadauatah,
He's just a man who's work - it tends to be Against the Law.

Number 5 was his first one, somewhere in New Mexico,
He got a load of payroll, then rode south down to San Angelo.
He's been shot at and knifed once, now he don't break a smile at all,
He's just a man who's work it tends to be Against the Law.

Chorus:
And he rides the range, waiting on the sound of a west bound train,
And he knows, that some day, he knows he'll get the gold,
Then he'll turn and he will ride away.

He had a girl back in Bandera, he ain't seen her in years,
Sometimes when he thinks of her, well his eyes they swell with tears.
Then long off in the distance, he can hear a whistle blow,
It sounds like the Topeka Tornado, carrying gold this time you know.

He rides up along the side, and he pulls his Big gun,
The Engineer starts a shutting things down, he don't want this to be his last run.
They slide open the door in the Mail car he didn't like what he saw,
A Marshall and his hired men, guns drawn he was taking the fall.

Well they rode him to the nearest town where they held their court of Law.
They wanted him to die by hanging, that's the judgment they (Gene) did call.
He looked proud like a man of steel as they walked him to the tree,
They strapped the hood and tied the noose and that's about when he broke free.

The story goes he always carried a gun, deep down in his boot,
He shot the Marshall and killed his men then rode off with all the loot.
They say he rode down to Mexico and that's the last time they ever saw,
That man who's work it tends to be Against the Law.

I Call Him Dad
Craig-O Ringland 12/03

It's been quite a few years ago, back when it first began,
My Father, I'm his second son, a son who's now become a man,
I can remember all the good times, that we've shared throughout the years,
The memories of my life so clear, as they reflect from the mirror.

He use to take me fishing lots, said it was good to get away,
From the work that he was devoted to, a pioneer in his own way,
We'd sit and talk about the things in life, like a Father and son - they do,
Sometimes he'd pass on a word of wisdom, and it was always something new...

CHORUS
You See, He isn't just a Father, He's a Hero all his own,
He takes the weight upon his shoulders, I guess that's what makes him so strong.
Someday I'd love to be like him, and let him know why I'm so glad,
That he's the one that I've counted on, he's the man I call my Dad.

Now I recall the times down in the workshop, where he became his Father's son.
He taught me how to build new things, while he - he quietly worked on one,
What he built was my foundation, he made it sturdy - to stand the time,
For when he had to set me free, to live my life & tow my own the line.

Now - when we get together, I think he knows how much I care,
There's been a time or two I've told him, that I really needed him there,
And as we part until next time - we say so long, I'll give a call,
Tradition goes we shake our hands, and it's that handshake that says it all.

(My Father didn't get a chance to hear this one before he hitched a ride on "The Pick-up" - May 23rd 2004. It's reassuring to know though - that memories last forever...)

The Fishin' Hole
Stephanie VanArkel & Craig-O Ringland 4/2000

I'm going down to da Fishin' Hole, and I'm gonna fish dare all day long,
And if da fish ain't a bittin' I'm a gonna dream about that time when you were with me.

I'm gonna dream, dream, dream - I'm gonna dream, dream, dream...
I'm gonna fish at da Fishin' Hole all nite long, and if da moon comes up I'm gonna sing a little song,

I'm gonna sing about da girl that I do love, and I'm gonna wish upon the stars that are high above.
I'm gonna wish, wish, wish - I'm gonna wish, wish, wish...

When da sun comes up I'm gonna go back home, I'm gonna shut my eyes and let my mind roam,
And when I wake up I'm gonna do it all again, till you come home don't matter where you been.

I'm gonna do it all again, do it all again - I'm gonna do it all again, do it all again...
I'm going down to da Fishin' Hole, and I'm gonna fish dare all day long,
And if da fish ain't a bittin' I'm a gonna dream, about that time when you were with me...
About that time when you were with me.

One Empty Chair
Craig-O Ringland 4/96

He came by way of Ft. Worth and Jackson, Wyoming, and he played his guitar along the way,
It took a little while, and I kind of got to know him - then he packed his bags and he moved away.

He use to play guitar at a place up town and he touched you heart with the songs he would sing,
And every now and then he'd give a look and a nod at you and say,
"How you doing Compadre, and how is your day"

Chorus:
Now there's One Empty Chair at the table, and an empty stool sitting down at the bar,
We knew he was leaving, but we didn't think it would be so hard,
Now there's One Empty Chair in our hearts.

I remember one morning, just before he headed back on the road,
We were sitting around a table sharing memories that we hold,
And we treasure that time in our hearts to this very day,
It seems like it was "magic" in some special way.

Well you know I wish him well, as he travels down that road,
Someday well sing a song together and maybe share a taste of Centinario,
And as I think of him often well there's one thing I have to say,
I'll hold that One Empty Chair 'till he returns here some day.

(There's few people that cross your trail who rank higher than Hero's... Ronnie Glover is one of them. This entire album is a result of Ronnie's years of patience and Mentoring. To say "Thank-You" falls a million miles short of my true gratitude. The trailer clip on the CD is from Ronnie's new album "Live at the Rusty Spur.")

Cowboy's Winter Ride
Craig-O Ringland 12/95

The wind it howls, and the snow drifts high - as the storm clouds race, across the western sky,
And there's an Ol' Cowboy, who's a making his way, to a tiny old shack in the pines where he'll stay.

Chorus:

This Ol' Cowboy, he's the drifting kind, he's living the dreams that are real in his mind,
He's out riding the range his horse Sage and him, It's this Ol' Cowboy, he's a man and a friend.

And as the clouds they trailed, away through the night, his thoughts followed them, along in their flight.
And the musical sound, of the ever howling gale, has lulled this Ol' Cowboy right down the dreamers trail.

But then in his mind, well a thought brings him back by the cold a creeping through that tiny old shack,
And he ceases the dreaming, pulls it from his desire - to toast his cold feet, right along side the fire...
It dawns then Ol' Cowboy, that although you ride, how fine it has been to stay this cold night inside,
Still deep down within, well you always will know when the time comes to ride, you'll be the first one to go.

Newman's
Craig-O Ringland 6/97

It's Friday night and you're feeling alright, you put a shine on your boots, wear those jeans kinda tight,
A drop of smell and put your favorite hat on, you're not holding back tonight you're out on your own,
Down at Newman's, Down at Newman's...

You walk on in and the crowds kind of thin, grab a Miller High Life and go out looking again,
You spot a girl who's sitting back by the band, you place the odds in your favor and you take up your stand,

Chorus:

Then you wonder if tonight's the night, when you meet that girl for the rest of your life,
Down at Newman's, Down at Newman's...

You walk on over an you time it just right, take a look at those Rockies hey they're quite a sight,
You ask her to dance and you hold her tight, the song tells of a love story on a Fairy Tale night,
Down at Newman's, Down at Newman's...

You get to talking and there's a sparkle in her eyes, a pretty smile on her face as the night it goes by,
You dance the last song and get ready you know, you don't want to say good night, you don't want to let her go...

So you ask her over and she says that would be o.k., you do some sweet love making until the break of day,

When you wake up and notice she's gone, well there's a note on the table saying she had fun,
Down at Newman's, Down at Newman's

Slow a beat:
A cup of coffee and a cigarette, you sit back and remember other mornings like this,
When next Friday comes and you're feeling alright, you'll do it all over again, its just another night...
Down at Newman's, Down at Newman's...

Pick-up Truck Full of Angels
Craig-O Ringland - - Mother's Day 1997

It all began a little after sixty-one,
A Mom and a Dad, blessed with another son,
We grew up in the Midwest where things were good,
Played all of the games that every kid should,
Then our Grandpa died and a pick-up came driving by...
(and we didn't know why)

Then I started school with all the kids I knew,
After twelve years we graduated and didn't know what to do,
So I went off to college and I did alright,
Then I lost my friend and I still don't know why,
That Pick-up Truck Full of Angels came driving by...

So then I moved away and headed out to the west,
Never got back home much it's a thing that I now regret,
The phone rang one night, things didn't look good,
I thought about going home - man I knew that I should,
Before that Pick-up Truck Full of Angels comes driving by...

My Brother he got a different call, it was from the man in charge,
Said get on home now son and please don't put it off,
He got in late and she was still hanging on,
Then he heard the engine start and it didn't take long,
Until That Pick-up Truck Full of Angels came a driving by...

I guess that all good things, well they only last so long.
We're all here one day and then were gone,
So when it comes time for me to go,
I'll say so long to all the friends that I know,
And then I'll hitch a ride when that pick-up comes driving by,
Yes when that Pick-up Truck Full of Angels comes a driving by...