COLORADO STATE SONG (BY GRUBSTAKE)

Now, you wouldn’t expect a great song about, say, Nebraska to be written by Hannah Montana.

And Tennessee Ernie Ford wasn’t known for his songs about Rhode Island.

And who would think John Denver would give us a song about West Virginia.

U. Utah Phillips

Well, that last thing may have happened

Nevertheless, we are going to consider a Colorado song – the “Colorado State Song” – that was written by Mr. U. Utah Phillips.

Phillips, who passed away in 2008, at the age of 73, was sort of a latter-day Woody Guthrie, hopping freights and riding Greyhound Buses across the country to sing songs, tell stories and act as a labor organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World (the “IWW” or “Wobblies”).  Wikipedia has a nice little piece on Mr. Phillips, so rather than repeat what has already been written, I will refer you to that article.

Although the “Colorado State Song” is a good song, the only recorded version of which I am aware is on the first album by the local group, Grubstake.  That brings up another name to know:  Harry Tuft.

Harry Tuft is the dean of Colorado folk music.  In 1962, he opened the Denver Folklore Center, which sold musical instruments and accessories, books, recordings and such things; provided lessons on guitar, banjo and other instruments; was a gathering place for local musicians, and a performance venue for nationally known folk artists.  He eventually closed the Center, reopened it, founded the Swallow Hill Music Association and recently (August of 2016) sold it, giving him more time to pursue musical interests as he moves into the 9th decade of his life.

With all of that going on, in 1972 Tuft joined geology professor Jack Stanesco and businessman Steve Abbott to form the folk trio known as Grubstake.  They have been playing with some regularity ever since.

A succinct biography of Harry Tuft was prepared when he was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2012, and another is found on Harry’s website.

Now that I have abrogated my responsibility of informing readers about U. Utah Phillips and Harry Tuft, I would like to use the rest of my allotted space to share a Utah Phillips story.

Back in the early 1970s, I attended a Folklore Center concert featuring Phillips and Rosalie Sorrels, who was a national treasure, performing folk songs and promoting social causes from the 1950s until her passing in June of 2017.

During his set, Utah mentioned that he had recently been on a program with other labor organizers and activists, some of whom had claimed that the FBI was opening their mail.  This was in the days before the NSA could hack anyone’s email and cell phones.  Utah was not surprised because he knew the government had been opening his mail (and that of other Wobblies) for years.

He didn’t think much more about it because he had a different concern, an agricultural concern.  He liked to grow a large garden in the field behind his house in California, and it was getting late to prepare the soil.  He had delayed doing that because of his touring schedule and was afraid that he would be unable to plant that year.

Well, the comments about the FBI gave him an idea.  He wrote a letter to a friend and in that letter he said, “Whatever you do, don’t dig in the field behind the house.  That’s where the guns are buried.”

When he returned home, the whole back field had been dug up, and he was able to plant his vegetables, gratefully thanking the FBI, before he had to go back on the road.

Now here is Utah’s “Colorado State Song.” performed by Grubstake, with Jack Stanesco doing the vocals:

COLORADO STATE SONG
By U. Utah Phillips

Well, I understand that Boeing lost a contract
They’re laying off a thousand engineers
And they all want to move to Colorado
And open up a charge account at Sears

CHORUS:
Oh, you can visit now and then
Bring your money, bring your friends
Bring your campers and your Winnebagos too
Bring your festivals and dope
And we all sincerely hope
That you won’t forget to leave when you get through

Now I see them standing out along the highway
With big red packs and long shaggy hair
And they all want a ride to Colorado
But I don’t care, I’ll leave them standing there

CHORUS

Now we’ve got a lot of trouble with the jet set
Them lazy, no good bastards love to ski
And they all want to fly to Colorado
And buy up all our mountain scenery

CHORUS

Oh, I’ve travelled all up and down this country
And I’ve seen many different kinds of bums
And they all want to move to Colorado
And make it just like all those Eastern slums

CHORUS

(I do not have the copyright information for this song, but Harry Tuft gave his permission to use it here.)

9 thoughts on “COLORADO STATE SONG (BY GRUBSTAKE)

  1. I’ve been performing this song all over Colorado for over 35 years. A while back I updated the first verse. There are a couple of generations out there who don’t know what “Sears” is. Feel free to borrow.
    “Well now I understand that Microsoft’s in trouble
    They’re laying off 4000 software geeks
    And they all want to move to Colorado
    And tear up all our snowcapped mountain peaks”

  2. I remember hearing Grubstake sing this at the Denver Folks Festival – late ‘70s? They dedicated it to Gov. Dick Lamm, then most famous for saying “no” to hosting the Olympics in Colorado. He was sitting with his family on a blanket near me, and I think he laughed more than anyone else.

    • I learned this song singing with the late George Downing and with Fiddler John Wilson in Silver Plume, Georgetown and Idaho Springs. I have brought it with me to Washington State where it makes new friends every time and everywhere it is played.

      Shoot me a line if you wish:
      Doc Froon
      froonzie@yahoo.com
      Shelton, WA 98584

    • Hey, good for you! I have to get down to my grandchildren to find a fourth generation Coloradoan.
      And, yes, I unfortunately have to agree with you about the prophesy.

  3. Being a rare Native of Colorado I have always Loved this song!
    Can’t seem to find it anywhere, Which is a major let down cause I’ve always wanted to play it for people not from here.

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