Yesterday the Arizona Daily Star published an article titled “31 songs that have the word ‘Tucson’ in them.” Of course, it go my attention
so I read the article figuring that one of my favorite singer-songwriters would be included in the 31 songs, Tom Russell, who penned
The Ballad of Edward Abbey — he was not. I guess the list was not intended to be comprehensive.
It was in the town of Tucson in Nineteen Eighty-Three
A man named Edward Abbey come a walking up to me
He pulled his cigar from his mouth, said, «I smell lawyers here»
The politician, running-dogs, they crawled away in fear
Singing do-ra-do
Singing do-ra-day
Ed walked across the desert at least a thousand times
He spoke with javelina, slept ‘neath piñon pine
And if he saw a billboard there, he’d chop that bastard down
Said, if a man can’t piss in his own front yard, he’d never keep close to town
Singing do-ra-do
Singing do-ra-day
Lord, I wish Edward Abbey were walking round today
Ed had a taste for women, in fact he married quite a few
He said, «I’d fall in love, boys, but I’m only passing through
You know I like ’em all, boys, and some more than the rest
I’ve tried my hand at monogamy, now I’m off to save the west
Singing do-ra-do
Singing do-ra-day
Ed died one day at sundown in his Tucson riding shack
They wrapped him in a sleeping bag and drove him way out back
Beneath the wild saguaro, the coyotes chewed his bones
And on a hidden marker, was ‘No Comment’, carved in stone
Singing do-ra-do
Singing do-ra-day
Yeah, I wish Edward Abbey were walking round today
Now I’m living in the desert, but the town is a-closing in
Those cracker box developments, Ed would call a sin
We stole this land from the Mexican and now we’ll sell it back
And they’ll live like mortgage prisoners in those goddamn housing tracts
Tell me, who votes for the mountain lion, tell me, who votes for the fox
Who votes for the spotted owl who hides there in the rocks
I wish that Ed would come again with a chainsaw in his hand
And carve all up those housing tracts and take on back the land
Singing do-ra-do
Singing do-ra-day
Yeah, I wish Edward Abbey were walking round today
“If a man can’t piss in his own front yard, he’s livin’ too close to town.”
— Edward Abbey, re Tom Russell
“Ed died one day at sundown, in his Tucson writing shack
They wrapped him in a sleeping bag, and drove him way out back
Beneath the wild Saguaro, the coyotes chewed Ed’s bones
And on the hidden marker, was “No comment” carved in.”
— from “The Ballad of Edward Abbey” by Tom Russell
Benediction: Edward Abbey, by Tom Russell
Be loyal to what you love, be true to the earth, fight your enemies with passion and laughter. ~Edward Abbey
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