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EARLY IDAHO SONGS OF THE MONTH - April 2009

Tadpole Lake (early 1900s). Lyrics for this song were found by Gary Eller in the working papers of Professor Jan Brunvand at the University of Idaho. The song is about the day to day life of a sheepherder in the sagebrush country between Mountain Home, Idaho and Boise where Tadpole Lake is located. Most likely written in the early 1900s, it is a surprisingly rare example of an Idaho sheepherding song. Gary came up with a plausible melody and rendition and recorded it at his Pickles Butte home.

Chickens in the Garden (early 1900s ). This hoedown was written by beloved Idaho Old Time Fiddler Otis Howard, possibly in the early 1900s. The rendition here by Otis (fiddle) and Dave Frisbee (rhythm guitar) was recorded at Dave's Emmett, Idaho home in January, 1963 when Otis was 75 years old. The photo at right shows Otis at about that time. Although the song is introduced on this track without a name, Rue Frisbee (an Otis protege) remembers that Otis would refer to the song as "Chickens in the Garden."