Songs of the Cattle Trail and Cow Camp

Discover the voice of the American West in spoken verse and song that shaped the cowboy myth.

This edition presents an oral tapestry of cowboy life, drawn from the cattle trail and cow camp. It gathers poems and songs as sung and shared by John Avery Lomax, offering a window into frontier work, romance, and everyday courage. Forewords and introductions frame how these verses traveled from ranger camps to the printed page, preserving a rich piece of American culture.

• A wide range of verses that celebrate work, travel, and life on the open range.
• Notes on how oral songs transformed through repetition and performance.
• Historic context about the cow towns, trails, and camps that inspired the verses.
• An accessible, readable edition suitable for fans of Western history and folklore.

Ideal for readers who enjoy Western literature, folklore, and the music of the plains.