Also titled The Cowboy's Soliloquy, this song originated in the 1880s.  It describes a cowboy's way of life and philosophy, or, as my father put it, "A Life in the Day of a Cowboy" (word order intentionally reversing Life and Day!).  My father, Hank Meredith, was a genuine old-time cowboy who rode mustang cow ponies and performed ranch work the old-fashioned way.  He was also a musician and a singer with a resonant low range who knew all the cowboy songs by heart, and sang them (and many other types of songs) for his family and friends (and sometimes for the cattle).  This song is the first of 29 that I recorded him singing in 1968.  The collection forms the basis of a book available from Tellwell Publishing (Victoria, BC) called "A Cowboy and His Songs - Tuneful Tales of the Old West."  The compendium contains information about Henry Meredith's life, a musical transcription of each song, plus a thorough discussion about the music and the lyrics, along with a glossary and a bibliography.  As a professional musician and educator, and his namesake son, I have written this book to preserve his legacy and share his unique voice and songs.
Henry Meredith, Jr., author.

01 - The Cowboy (The Cowboy's Soliloquy) - Hank Sr

In this attractive waltz-like ballad, the rhymed Spanish words are almost exactly a direct translation of the English words – an unusual occurrence!  The lyrics are self-explanatory and imply that there may have been familial difficulties (deceased sister and mother – both kind, good and appreciated, but a father who perhaps was abusive or not present, hence his relegation to Hell).  It is unclear whether the singer is anticipating his own imminent death, or whether any of this text needs to be taken literally beyond the love song idea.  Why the singer would want a declaration of faithful love from his sweetheart, if and when he dies, is also unclear.  The association of the Spanish words as a direct translation of Nobody’s Darling exists nowhere else, so they might well be my father’s original creation, and that may account for his pleasure in singing this song.
Henry Meredith, Jr., author.

26 - Nobody's Darling (Adios Mi Querida) - Hank Sr

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