Nate Champion's Diary (The Missing Pages)
		Louie Ludwig   zzi music


Bart calls it an "epic," which I think means "Damn, that's a long song." 
It tells the story of the Johnson County War, a decade-long struggle between homesteaders
 and small stock owners in Wyoming and a few huge cattle interests--mostly foreign and Eastern
--who claimed the state as their private grazing range. One cowboy, Nate Champion, was a particular 
thorn in the stockmen's saddle blanket, so they did what powerful monopolists often do to small 
competitors: they eliminated the competition.


Credits:
Fiddle: Gina Forsyth, Accordion, backing vocals: Bart Ramsey


Was the boys from Texas who beat out the trail
Branded the mavericks and shipped 'em for sale
In a country unbound by wire and rail
It was a mighty hard way but it's fair.

Then came the lords from the lands overseas
From New York and Newport and places of ease
They took all Wyoming to do as they pleased
And they claimed all the mavericks were theirs.

It's a hi-yi-yay.
Hi-yi-yay.
Well, a man ain't a man who'd bow down to these.

By the  end of the 80s, thing's was all changed
Plenty of settlers out on the range
Borders of wire surrounding their claims
The lords of Cheyenne were not pleased.

They figured they'd break 'em if they took out a few
They hanged dear old Ella and Waggoner, too
They ambushed John Tisdale and shot him right through
Then they turned their attentions to me.

I'm just a cowboy and a pretty fair hand
I never did file on no claim of land
But I got me a herd and a registered brand
And I know what it means to be free.

Singin'  hi-yi-yay.
Hi-yi-yay.
Well, a man ain't a man who'd bow down to these.

Yeah, I'm just a cowboy but they called me a thief
They said of the rustlers that I was the chief
So the word come down from the barons of beef:
That Champion, he's got to die.

The syndicate boys, they set out their plans
Loaded a special train out of Cheyenne
With rifles and horses and fifty hard men
And they set off north in the night.

Singin'  hi-yi-yay.
Hi-yi-yay.
Well, a man ain't a man who'd bow down to these.

They'd tried once before to finish old Nate
It was back in November at Mr. Hall's place
The fellas they'd sent just couldn't shoot straight
But this time, they's playin' for keeps.

Now I'm holed in quarters this cold April day
At the old KC ranch, just me and Nick Ray
Got the syndicate army just up the way
To bring down the vengence on me

They been pourin' it on 'til the lead's just like hail
One shooter got Nick and he's startin' to fail
I took a few minutes to write out the tale
As they ready to fire the place.

Maybe I'll make it as far as the trees
Maybe I'll burn and maybe I'll freeze
But I'll tell you right now I won't die on my knees
'Cause I got my maker to face.

Singin'  hi-yi-yay.
Hi-yi-yay.
Well, a man ain't a man who'd bow down to these.