Travis Edmonson of Bud & Travis
Travis Edmonson Songs H - I
HAITI
HIGH HILL COUNTRY
I'M A DRIFTER
IN SONORA
IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR
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 Travis Edmonson made his breakthrough with The Gateway Singers, resident group at the hungry i
Be sure and check out the website celebrating the great San Francisco club at www.hungryi.net
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SONG PAGES
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HAITI
This song, which melodically combines a flavor of the island along with the universal sentiments of loss at a departure from home, is one of Travis Edmonson's sweetest tunes, both in its arrangement and presentation. One whiff of that riff, and you know who's about to sing! Originally from the "Naturally" LP (and brought out as a single), it was reputed to have become an unofficial anthem of the country after the release.
Hear sound clip on B&T NATURALLY page
HIGH HILL COUNTRY
Extolling the virtues of the simple life, this soothing Travis Edmonson original, performed live at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, captures the sense of an existence in harmony with nature - owning little, and seeking no more than a “girl to make me feel at home.”
Hear sound clip on TRAVIS ON CUE page
IF I WERE FREE
Lyrics to this Travis Edmonson composition which he did not sing on record:
This weary world has had its fill
Of words of war on every hill.
The time has come for peaceful days
And peaceful men of peaceful ways.
If I were free to speak my mind,
I'd tell a tale to all mankind
Of how the flowers do bloom and fade
Of how we've fought and how we've paid.
When all mankind has ceased to fight
I'll raise my head in thanks each night
For this rich Earth and all it means
For golden days and peaceful dreams.
If I were free to speak my mind,
I'd tell a tale to all mankind
Of how the flowers do bloom and fade
Of how we've fought and how we've paid.
I'M A DRIFTER
If Travis Edmonson has more than demonstrated his ability to portray the lifestyle and philosophy of the unsullied in his songs, “I'm A Drifter” takes the opposite tack. Written for real-life rolling stone Jefferson Davis, whom the composer became acquainted with in his teens, this song presents a graphic series of snapshots to depict the roving lifestyle of one whose numerous memories are used to mask and compensate for his lonely heart. A classic and haunting piece on its own, when Travis Edmonson sings it, every nuance of the words and imagery are brought out.
Hear sound clip on "Tucson Tapes 1" CD page
I NEVER WILL MARRY
A plaintive Irish song in which Travis Edmonson captures perfectly the feelings of both the onlooker and the protagonist who vanishes below the waves.
Hear sound clip on PERSPECTIVE ON B&T page
IN SONORA
This smooth and rhythmic ballad of soft summer nights, and a girl who waits in Sonora, was adapted by Travis Edmonson for “On His Own,” and has a mesmeric appeal which makes one want to hear the lyrical love song over and over.
Hear sound clip on TRAVIS ON HIS OWN page
IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR
Having been a fan of the balladeer , it is quite likely that Frank Sinatra first heard this piece which he later made famous, performed at a Travis Edmonson gig. In the latter's hands, the philosophical song of reflection on youth, middle age and a lifetime spread out before the singer like kegs of wine, tends to emphasize that they mostly poured sweet and clear.
Hear sound clip on B&T IN PERSON page