Insider Info

Colorado: Back in the mid 1970's, I lived in Mammoth Lakes, California and my life was all about music, mountain air, bright stars in the night sky, and powdery snow. When I wasn't in the mountains, I missed them. I sang and played guitar at night in restaurants and clubs, and snow skied pretty much every day on the slopes of Mammoth Mountain. I figured one day I'd move to Colorado, where I thought the skiing would be even better.

At one point, some friends and I took a road trip to Mexico, where we had car troubles and not enough money to properly fix the car, so we limped through the night, trying to make it out of Mexico and back home to the mountains and the snow.

That's what was going on when I wrote this song. It wasn't a pickup truck, though, and it wasn't a water pump but it was car troubles in the Mexican desert, nonetheless. In this case, it was a flat tire and two bent rims, and in my mind I was going to Colorado but in truth, we were going to Mammoth.

So there you go. As far as the details go, I'm a big lying liar, but the spirit of the song is correct. Especially the part where we had more music than money.

Still do. :o)

The Recording: Jim Keller let me borrow his B&G Little Sister electric guitar for a bit longer, so I knew I had to use it right away. See the blurb on my previous song release (Pray It Forward) for the story of the Little Sister guitar. I got the electric part done quickly, just in case Jim wanted his guitar back, then added Angel (my Larrivee C10-E acoustic guitar), a bass part, and a super simple drum track (yup, I'm not a drummer!) :o)

Vocals were recorded with an Aston Origin microphone. Angel was recorded with an AKG P170 and both "Sis" and the bass were recorded direct.

Colorado

Words & Music by Ron Hall - All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Somethin' 'bout the water pump
This pickup truck has sure seen its better days
With thirteen hundred miles to go
Colorado snow, you seem so far away

And it seems so long since I've been gone
My money didn't last as long as my singin'
But now you're bringin' me to paradise
To sleep beneath your starry skies
Open up your eyes, Colorado
I'm coming home

Drivin' on the settin' sun
The night will soon be lettin' on the day
My heart cried out in Mexico, beneath the snow
Will all your treasures lay

And it seems so long since I've been gone
My money didn't last as long as my singin'
But now you're bringin' me to paradise
To sleep beneath your starry skies
Open up your eyes, Colorado
I'm coming home

And it's been so long since I've been gone, but
Hard, hard times never last as long as sweet, sweet singin'
Oh I'll be seeing you in paradise
We'll sleep beneath those starry skies
Open up your eyes, Colorado
I'm coming home