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Description
My buddy told me about a song writing contest with a $5,000 cash prize. (Sorry, deadline was yesterday.) The contest is sponsored by an outfit in Medorah, North Dakota-- a beautiful place in the northern badlands & jumping off point for the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. These folks put on a show for tourists in the summer in an open air amphitheatre. A sort of Grand Ole Opry meets broadway musical, I guess. I've never seen it. Anywho, the cash goes to the song that best "captures the many attributes of the state of North Dakota and the spirit of North Dakotans".
I learned about the contest last week and wrote and recorded the song in a couple days. It's just a voice and guitar demo.
In the bridge ("softball games & rodeos") I'm reaching for what I hope is a little musical theatre vibe. But it a friggin' country/folk song at bottom.
I haven't written anything in awhile so it's good to have a new one. Nothing like a deadline!
I learned about the contest last week and wrote and recorded the song in a couple days. It's just a voice and guitar demo.
In the bridge ("softball games & rodeos") I'm reaching for what I hope is a little musical theatre vibe. But it a friggin' country/folk song at bottom.
I haven't written anything in awhile so it's good to have a new one. Nothing like a deadline!
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Lyrics
North Dakota Bound
Left the farm first chance I got and headed for the city
Dad said “son, you’ll soon be back”. I said, “you must be kidding”
Don’t need this country life, I’m leaving town
I swear I won’t be North Dakota bound.
Chased my dreams for a dozen years, a big home outside Dallas
But hardly saw my wife and kids, strivin’ for that palace
Through the walls you could hear the freeway sound
Far away from North Dakota bound
Mom called, said that Dad was sick: “son we really need ya”
Could you work the combine just to see us through the season?
On a night flight back home to that prairie town
Seemed all the stars were North Dakota bound.
I worked through the harvest time, stayed on through September
Spent mornings in a duck blind ‘neath a sky of burnin’ embers
Flew in the wife and kids to look around
They want reason’s why we’re North Dakota bound
Well, there’s softball games and rodeos and Nana’s potluck dinners
And a country church that could really use sopranos and a tenor
There’s room to breathe, to get lost and get found
Reasons why we’re North Dakota bound
Round here people know your name, and where your grandpa’s buried
I made my first communion in the church where my folks married
In time you feel connected to the ground
Can’t help it now I’m North Dakota bound.
The geese are in the potholes now, the fence lines are in flower
A golden sun sinks behind a silver water tower
On God’s front porch we’re sleeping safe and sound
And forever now we’re North Dakota bound.
Left the farm first chance I got and headed for the city
Dad said “son, you’ll soon be back”. I said, “you must be kidding”
Don’t need this country life, I’m leaving town
I swear I won’t be North Dakota bound.
Chased my dreams for a dozen years, a big home outside Dallas
But hardly saw my wife and kids, strivin’ for that palace
Through the walls you could hear the freeway sound
Far away from North Dakota bound
Mom called, said that Dad was sick: “son we really need ya”
Could you work the combine just to see us through the season?
On a night flight back home to that prairie town
Seemed all the stars were North Dakota bound.
I worked through the harvest time, stayed on through September
Spent mornings in a duck blind ‘neath a sky of burnin’ embers
Flew in the wife and kids to look around
They want reason’s why we’re North Dakota bound
Well, there’s softball games and rodeos and Nana’s potluck dinners
And a country church that could really use sopranos and a tenor
There’s room to breathe, to get lost and get found
Reasons why we’re North Dakota bound
Round here people know your name, and where your grandpa’s buried
I made my first communion in the church where my folks married
In time you feel connected to the ground
Can’t help it now I’m North Dakota bound.
The geese are in the potholes now, the fence lines are in flower
A golden sun sinks behind a silver water tower
On God’s front porch we’re sleeping safe and sound
And forever now we’re North Dakota bound.
dantimmermans
this is nice tune, John, and it sounds like you have had a complex relationship with your hometown. the lyrics are suitably earthy and I like the sparse approach to this demo. looking forward to hearing any future versions.