Page 29 - the Noise April 2017

Excerpts from
Maude, Billy & Mr. D by Katie Lee
Hi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ha-a-a-a-a-o-o-o-o! Hi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ha-a-a-a-a-o-o-o-o! Mr. Death,
he come a ridin in from the plains on his pale stallion,
Shottin off his pistols,
BANGITY-BANG
Till you’d a thot some likkered up Injun was on a spree... Whooooooooeeee! H-a-a-a-a-a!
We was skeered, all us little ‘uns
And the grown-ups too,
But to them he seemed more familiar, that’s true.
*****
But he never touched narry a soul that day
Cept Billy-b-damn Bangtry.
The one that all the girls was all crazy for And Mr. Death,
he didn’t do more’n just lay a finger on ‘um.
So Billy-b-damn didn’t die right off, just lay there cold,
and sweatin’ with a cough
Dyin’ of a bullet in his belly where he lay
Twas shot off by a drunken cowpoke in the play Of a wild Eucre game.
*****
Now many a young girl in our town
That night wet her pilla down,
When she heard how Billy was like t’ die.
Cause he drove ‘em all wild with his flashin’ eyes. But the one that cried the worst about his fate Was pretty little Maude Applegate.
The one with all the freckles and a witchin’ pair Of dark green eyes, and long, red hair.
*****
Old Injun Mary was a nursin’ Billy’s wound
With healing herbs and wa-a-a-lin’ to the moon, And she wouldn’t let no other woman in
So there wasn’t nuthin’ Maude could do fer him.
*****
But ya can’t expect a red-head gal t’ set Like ya would jest any other gal and fret So Maude, she saddled Tony
Her daddy’s pinto pony
And took off across the plains For Mister Death. Hi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ha-a-a-a-a-o-o-o-o! Hi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ha-a-a-a-a-o-o-o-o! (echo)
Now Maude rode high and she rode low
She rode through cow country way down below. She rode thru the sheep country up on the hill Were the lone eagle circles, so high and so still.
She rode thru the Injun lands where the wind whines To the fer mountains, thru the yeller-jack pines
Her daddy’s poor pinto stumbled over the boulders And Maude’s red hair tumbled downo’er her shoulders.
Then she spied Mister Death,
‘bout a mile up the track
Where he lived with his Granny in a timberline shack
photo by Dani Vorves
And she called out loud, jest as loud as could be.
*****
‘I know who I love
And I know who loves me
I know where I’m goin’
And I know who’s a goin’ with me Tell me weeping willow
What makes you hang so low You seem to know a secret
That other trees don’t know. Diddle-la-de-aye
Oh the little eye-oh-day
Oh that I was what I would be Then would I be what I am not Here I am where I must be
Go where I will I cannot. Diddle-la-de-aye
Oh the little eye-oh-day.’
*****
Mr. Death he lifted Maude up to his
Stallion and he leaped astride
Up the snowy mountain side to the top
Thru the sky they did ride.
Past the mountains of the storm, to the
Pastures of the sky
Where the little clouds was grazin’ with their fat white mommy’s standin’ by.
Then he rode right up into all the fields where the stars grew so bright. And he let her pick a few just to wear in her red hair that night.
Pretty soon they passed the moon —
half was black and half was blue.
When she reached her hand to touch it, it was cold as snow and slippery too!
Then Maude she saw the sun just a big ball of fire in the sky.
And Mr. Death he said she best turn her face lest it blinded her eyes. Then they started round the world out across the ocean blue.
With her arms around his waist she was snug and warm and happy too.
| Katie Lee’s classic folk opera, Maude, Billy & Mr. D., is to be performed May 6 at Mingus Union High School (see p.13 for details). Dani Vorves’ photographs are on display at Datura Yoga Studio in the Old Jerome High School.
29 • April 2017 | the NOISE arts & news | www.thenoise.us