Coyotes

Don Edwards

About Coyotes

Coyotes is an American Western song written by Bob McDill and closely associated with cowboy singer Don Edwards. It appears on Edwards' 1993 album Goin' Back to Texas, and was featured on the soundtrack of the 2005 documentary film Grizzly Man. The Great American Country network named Coyotes as one of their Top 20 Cowboy and Cowgirl Songs; Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. In a 2010 interview with Cowboys & Indians magazine, Edwards said "Bob McDill wrote the song in 1984 or '85 and couldn't pitch it to anyone. He put it in a drawer in his office and forgot about it until we started recording at Warner Brothers."The song is a story of what happens to a man when the world as he knows it and worked in it begins to disappear. Among the things that the protagonist says "are gone" are nineteenth-century people, animals and concepts that contemporary listeners may not be familiar with: Pancho Villa, longhorns, drovers, Comanches, outlaws, Geronimo, Sam Bass, the lion, the red wolf, Quantrill (sounds like Quantro in the song, (one version he says Quanah Parker, who was a Comanche. So what sounds like Quantro may be Quanah) and Stand Watie. In the end, the protagonist is gone, too. 


Year:
1993
4:25
2,120 

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Was a cowboy I knew in south Texas,
His face was burnt deep by the sun,
Part history, part sage, part mesquit,
He was there when Poncho Villa was young. 

And he'd tell you a tale of the old days, 
When the country was wild all around, 
Sit out under the stars of the Milky Way, 
And listen while the coyotes howl. 

And they go... hoo yip hoo yip hoo
hoodi hoo di yip hoo di yip hoo
hoo yip hoo yip hoo
hoo di hoo di yip hoo di yip hoo 

Now the long horns are gone, 
And the drovers are gone, 
The Comanches are gone, 
And the outlaws are gone, 
Geronimo is gone, 
And Sam Bass is gone,
And the lion is gone, 
And the red wolf is gone. 

Well he cursed all the roads and the oil men,
And he cursed the automobile, 
Said this is no place for an hombre like I am, 
In this new world of asphalt and steel. 

Then he'd look off some place in the distance, 
At something only he could see, 
He'd say all that's left now of the old days, 
Those damned old coyotes and me. 

And they go hoo yip hoo yip hoo
hoodi hoo di yip hoo di yip hoo
hoo yip hoo yip hoo
hoo di hoo di yip hoo di yip hoo 

Now the long horns are gone,
And the drovers are gone
The Comanches are gone
And the outlaws are gone,
Now Quantro is gone, 
Stan Watie is gone
And lion is gone,
And the red wolf is gone. 

One morning they searched his adobe,
He disappeared without even a word,
But that night as the moon crossed the mountain, 
One more coyote was heard. 

And he'd go, hoo yip hoo yip hoo
hoodi hoo di yip hoo di yip hoo
hoo yip hoo yip hoo
hoo di hoo di yip hoo di yip hoo 

hoo yip hoo yip hoo
hoodi hoo di yip hoo di yip hoo
hoo yip hoo yip hoo
hoo di hoo di yip hoo di yip hoo 

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Don Edwards

William Donlon Edwards (born January 6, 1915) is an American politician of the Democratic Party, formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives from California. more »

1 fan

Written by: BOB MCDILL

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Origin
Don Edwards released "Coyotes" in 1997 as part of his critically acclaimed album, 'My Hero Gene Autry: A Tribute'. The song presents a compelling narrative about the wildlife in the American West.
Lyrics & Theme
"Coyotes" portrays a poignant picture of human encroachment on wild spaces. It narrates the perspective of coyotes and other wildlife and highlights the displaced animals in the name of advancement.
Popular Usage
Although recognized in the country and western genre, "Coyotes" gained popularity outside of its niche when it was featured in the 2007 film, 'Into the Wild'.
Successful Album
'My Hero Gene Autry: A Tribute' was a successful album released by Don Edwards. R emembered especially for its compelling track "Coyotes", which perfectly manifests Edwards's masterful storytelling.
Cover Versions
"Coyotes" has been covered by other artists, including Jason Isbell, proving its endurance and popularity in the country and folk genres.
Tribute to Wildlife
Don Edwards used "Coyotes" as a platform to address environmental issues, illustrating the impact of human interference on the natural world and wildlife.
Music Style
Typical of Don Edwards, the song "Coyotes" embraces a classic cowboy and folk style with simple but powerful acoustic guitar instrumentation.
Notable Lyrics
One of the song's most poignant lines, "runs the ridges in a thousand miles," brings to mind the vast expanse of space that the coyotes and other wildlife used to roam freely without human intervention.
Don Edwards’s Background
Known as a Western music singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Don Edwards has dedicated his life to preserving the American West's songs and stories as evident in "Coyotes".
Recognition
While the song "Coyotes" might not be Don Edwards's most famous work, its social commentary and beautiful melody have left a lasting impression in the music industry.

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