Album: Climbing! (1970)

License This Song 

• When the wagons leave the city
  For the forest and further on
  Painted wagon of the morning
  Dusty roads where they've gone
  Sometimes travelin´ through the darkness
  At the summer comin´ home
  Forcing faces by the wayside
  Look as if they hadn't known
  All the sad was in their eyes
  And the desert that´s dry
  In a country town
  Where the map was found
  Oh the dancing and the singing
  Oh the music when they play
  Oh the fire that they saw there
  On the grave of no return
  Sometimes they found it
  Sometimes they kept it
  Often lost in on the way
  Pawnee shadow to possess him
  Sometimes ride inside of day
  Oh the sad was in their eyes
  And the desert that´s dry
  In a country town
  Where the map was found
  Oh the sad was in their eye
  And the desert that´s dry
  In a country town
  Where the wagons bound Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 5

• James Mariani from Ocean Beach CaThe Jack Bruce version delivers like only a composer can land it.
• Eero Martin from Europe, FinlandAwesome, finaly I got facts, indeed.
• Paul S. from Pittsburgh, Pa.I usually like a certain website for their lyrics but they really mutilated the lyrics to this one so here they are if it's not too long to submit:
  
  When the wagons leave the city
  For the forest and further on
  Painted wagons of the morning
  Dusty roads where they have gone
  Sometimes traveling through the darkness
  Met the summer coming home
  Fallen faces by the wayside
  
  Looked as if they might have known
  
  Oh the sun was in their eyes
  And the desert was dry
  In the country town
  Where the laughter sounds
  
  Oh the dancing and the singing
  Oh the music when they played
  Oh the fires that they started
  Oh the girls with no regret
  Sometimes they found it, sometimes they kept it
  Often lost it along the way
  Fought each other to possess it
  Often died in sight of day
  
  Oh the sun was in their eyes
  And the desert was dry
  In the country town
  Where the laughter sounds
  
  Oh the sun was in their eyes
  And the desert was dry
  In the country town
  Where the laughter sounds
• Ed from Lebanon, NhOn Jack Bruce's own albums, he lists the title as "Theme *for* an Imaginary Western".
• Wayne from Plantation, FlThe lyrics are a big part of this tune, and are by Bruce's long-time songwriting partner and former beat poet, Pete Brown. Mountain performed the tune at Woodstock, and arguably it was a bit out of place given the better-known and more raucous tunes we associate with the festival. It's about as different from their Mississippi Queen type tunes as you can get, but Mountain was largely about the coming together of West's bluesy/earthy and Felix's lyrical/classical styles.

More Songfacts:

Burning Down The HouseTalking Heads

"Burning Down The House" by Talking Heads was inspired by chant band members heard at a P-Funk show where the crowd yelled, "burn down the house... burn down the house."

ParanoidBlack Sabbath

"Paranoid" reflects a feeling Black Sabbath bass player Geezer Butler often felt after using drugs.

White IversonPost Malone

Post Malone came up with "White Iverson" after getting braids in his hair and thinking they looked like basketball legend Allen Iverson's signature cornrows.

I Go To ExtremesBilly Joel

Lindsay Lohan has some lyrics from Billy Joel's "I Go To Extremes" tattooed on her ribcage: "Clear as a crystal, sharp as a knife I feel like I'm in the prime of my life."

Let It GoIdina Menzel

The Frozen song "Let It Go" was recorded in 42 different languages for the movie's foreign releases. This earned it an entry in the 2016 Guinness World Records publication for "Most Languages Featured on a Single."

Bang!AJR

The voice is that says "here we go" in the AJR song "Bang!" belongs to Charlie Pellett, the announcer on the New York City subway ("stand clear of the closing doors, please").

Editor's Picks

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

Corey HartSongwriter Interviews

The Canadian superstar talks about his sudden rise to fame, and tells the stories behind his hits "Sunglasses At Night," "Boy In The Box" and "Never Surrender."

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Michelle BranchSongwriter Interviews

Michelle Branch talks about "Everywhere," "The Game Of Love," and her run-in with a Christian broadcasting network.

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.