On the Road to California
Now in the spring we'll leave Nauvoo, and our journey we'll pursue
Bid the robbers all farewell, let them go to heaven or hell
cho: On the road to California, on that long and tedious journey
Far across the Rocky Mountains, crystal springs and flowing fountains
Down on Nauvoo's green grassy plain, they burned our houses and our grain
When they thought we were hell-bent, they sent for aid from the government
Oh, Governor Ford with a mind so small, hasn't room for a soul at all
He neither can be damned nor blessed, heaven or hell should do their best
Sung to the tune of "Old Dan Tucker"
Purportedly sung by the Mormons after their expulsion from Nauvoo, Illinois
in the winter and spring of 1846.
Note: Thomas Ford was the governor of Illinois who acquiesced to the murder of
Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith in 1844, and expressed satisfaction upon the
Mormon expulsion from the state two years later.
Recorded on They Think We Live on Carrots Down in Utah, 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.
JW
oct97
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!