Digital Tradition Mirror

Brigham Young, Western Pioneer

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Brigham Young, Western Pioneer

Come all of my people, if you want to hear
A story about a brave pioneer
Brigham Young was the pioneer's name,
And out in the West he won his fame.

He said to his people on the Mississippi River,
Pack up your things, we're leaving here forever
We'll turn our wagons towards the West
We won't get discouraged for we'll do our level best.

cho: Brigham Young, western pioneer
     Brigham Young, he won a noble race
     Brigham Young, he made a broad statement
     When he raised up on his elbow and said "This is the place."

They arrived in Salt Lake valley on July the twenty-fourth
A thousand miles they travelled they were very tired of course
Brigham Young was sick, weariness was on his face,
But he raised up on his elbow and said "This is the place."

(Chorus)

Some when to California, didn't heed his advice
They didn't seem to prosper, were as poor as church mice
Some joined the other churches but I have a little hunch,
They wished to heck they'd never quit the Brigham Young bunch.

(Chorus)

They built roads and mills, and irrigation ditches,
To water the land and make their britches
They dug for gold and silver, a little copper too
And soon they were better off than back in Nauvoo

(Chorus)

They built the Salt Lake Temple, erected many schools,
They educate the kiddies, Brigham wanted no fools.
They are as busy bees, they build a lot of hives
And he ought'a go to heaven with his four and twenty wives

(Chorus)

This song was composed by Myron Crandall in the 1930's, and was inspired by
the moment on July 24, 1847, when Brigham Young entered the valley of the
Great Salt Lake.  He lay sick with mountain fever in a carriage, but had the
driver turn the carriage half around so he could get view of the valley.
He thereupon raised up on his elbow and declared "This is the right place.
Drive on."

Recorded on They Think We Live on Carrots, a collection of old pioneer
melodies, dance tunes, and songs recorded in 1995 by Cory Webster and
several other musicians at the University of Utah.  The recording is
copyright (C) 1995 by Cory Webster.

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Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!