Lyr Req: The Renegade (Ian & Sylvia)

Subject: Lyrics: The Renegade
From: Paul Lindfors, North Mankato, MN
Date: 11 Apr 97 - 11:31 PM

I need the lyrics to the second verse of this song. It was on an album by Ian & Sylvia

Subject: RE: ? Lyrics- Ian & Sylvia songs. Katy Dear, othe
From:
Date: 08 Aug 97 - 05:35 PM

Does anyone know where or what happened to Ian and Sylvia? Are they still singing together?

Subject: RE: ? Lyrics- Ian & Sylvia songs. Katy Dear, othe
From: Dale Rose
Date: 08 Aug 97 - 07:06 PM

No, they have not really sung together for many years, having divorced in the mid 70s, but both are still active as separate acts. Check this site for lots of info on Ian Tyson. HTTP://www.nucleus.com/~cowboy/IanTyson.html

Sylvia Tyson sings as part of the group Quartette, as well as as a solo act. This page gives information about her. http://www.quartette.com/~quartett/

Multi-searches like Dogpile will no doubt turn up even more information on them.

Subject: RE: ? Lyrics- Ian & Sylvia songs. Katy Dear, othe
From: steve t
Date: 09 Aug 97 - 12:14 AM

2nd verse as far as I can tell...

(I'm guessing you don't want the chorus)

Fires of the potlatch all scattered in their ashes
(Wow -- no idea what this is...West Coast native talk?)
And our children cannot follow the old nor the new ways
And the poles of their fathers are rotting in the rain

Subject: RE: ? Lyrics- Ian & Sylvia songs. Katy Dear, othe
From: Allan Samuels
Date: 24 Aug 97 - 07:17 PM

I learned this in cultural anthropology in school. Wow, and I thought I would never need that stuff. Potlatch is a practice of some Indian tribes especially in the Pacific Northwest. Once a year they have a huge bonfire. Everyone in the tribe gathers and throws in the the most beautiful, valuable and treasured belongings they have amassed during the past year. The one who burns the most/best stuff wins. This idea was developed and refined by the Bavarian Motor Works, and promoted successfully, especially on the Upper West Side N.Y. It is STILL practised by the Yuppie Tribe there.

Allan

Subject: RE: ? Lyrics- Ian & Sylvia songs. Katy Dear, othe
From: Priscilla
Date: 12 Sep 97 - 09:52 PM

As a wee sidebar, has anyone else ever been a bit irritated by the lyrics to Katy Dear? "Let's ask your parents if we can get married. If they say no, we'll run away." The parents say no. Do the kids run off? No, they kill themselves. Huh?

Subject: RE: ? Lyrics- Ian & Sylvia songs. Katy Dear, othe
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Sep 97 - 11:12 AM

the traditiom of 'potlatch' is a bit more complex than stated above see here for a more detailed explanation

Subject: RE: ? Lyrics- Ian & Sylvia songs. Katy Dear, othe
From: Allan Samuels
Date: 13 Sep 97 - 10:01 PM

Wow! That just goes to show ya how much a guy can forget in about 40 years. Thanks for the refresher course.

Allan

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: THE RENEGADE (Ian & Sylvia)
From: GUEST,Wolf Lahti
Date: 16 Sep 18 - 08:33 PM

The words I got from one of the Ian and Sylvia music books so they are accurate. The chords I believe are a whole tone below the recording.

 C         G7        Am             G
 Up on the hillside, policemen were climbing;
 Am                    F                C             G
  the ghosts called the night wind their fantasies to tell.
 C            G7            Am            G
  Dark on the snow were the blood drops a-dryin’;
 Am                    F            C              G
  slipped through cold fingers, the whiskey bottle fell.
 
 
 C          F         C                   F
  Klahowya, mother, I leave you with your white man;
   D                       G             D                G
 I curse their church that tells us that our fathers were wrong.
          C           G                Am           G
 And I’ll hunt my own mowich, and I’ll drink my own whiskey,
          Am         F           C             G
 and I’ll sing until morning the old-fashioned songs.
 
 Fires of the potlatch are all scattered in their ashes;
 Mesachie tamanawas - The Evil One’s remains.
 And our children cannot follow the old nor the new ways,
 and the poles of their fathers are rotting in the rain
 
 Daylight came late over high coastal mountains;
 the renegade stood watching with his rifle by his side.
 Then he emptied his gun up into the pale, yellow sunrise,
 and he ran down the hillside to the place where he died.

klahowya = hello, goodbye
mesachie = evil, malign
mowich = deer
potlatch = an annual regional gathering where stories and gifts are exchanged
tamanawas = spirit, sorcerer