.

.

Tucson Sunday Morning

Chorus:
Tucson Sunday morning,
See the sage brush come alive.
Gold upon the Rincons,
Catalina mountain sides.
Saguaro in the desert
Lift their silent arms in prayer.
The mission bell is tolling,
My stage will soon be rolling,
But my dreams will still be there.

Cantina of Alinda,
Where I bedded for a while.
Was it the fiery liquor,
Or the senorita’s smile.
Warm nights with soft Alinda.
Palo Verde scented hair.
When I awoke it was the dawn,
And I had to travel on,
But my dreams will still be there.

Chorus:
Tucson Sunday morning,
See the sage brush come alive.
Gold upon the Rincons,
Catalina mountain sides.
Saguaro in the desert
Lift their silent arms in prayer.
The mission bell is tolling,
My stage will soon be rolling,
But my dreams will still be there.

They found another Marshal.
Said he’s riding in today.
It’s time that I was leaving
For the border anyway.
The vision of Alinda
With a flower in her hand
Will bring me back some midnight
When the moon is shining bright
On the Tucson golden sand.

Chorus:
Tucson Sunday morning,
See the sage brush come alive.
Gold upon the Rincons,
Catalina mountain sides.
Saguaro in the desert
Lift their silent arms in prayer.
The mission bell is tolling,
My stage will soon be rolling,
But my dreams will still be there.

Gunfighter’s life is anguish,
Always danger in the air.
I headed for Alinda,
Though I knew I shouldn’t dare.
Tucson streets were empty.
Caught a flash of forty-four.
Is that really you Alinda?
Am I at your hacienda?
Is that my body lying there?

Chorus:
Tucson Sunday morning,
See the sage brush come alive.
Gold upon the Rincons,
Catalina mountain sides.
Saguaro in the desert
Lift their silent arms in prayer.
The mission bell is tolling,
My stage will soon be rolling,
But my dreams will still be there.

.

.

LTC Roy E. Peterson, US Army Military Intelligence and Russian Foreign Area Officer (Retired) has published more than 5,000 poems in 78 of his 101 books. He has been an Army Attaché in Moscow, Commander of INF Portal Monitoring in Votkinsk, first US Foreign Commercial Officer in Vladivostok, Russia and Regional Manager in the Russian Far East for IBM. He holds a BA, Hardin-Simmons University (Political Science); MA, University of Arizona (Political Science); MA, University of Southern California (Int. Relations) and MBA University of Phoenix. He taught at the University of Arizona, Western New Mexico University, University of Maryland, Travel University and the University of Phoenix.

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15 Responses

  1. Roy Eugene Peterson

    FYI Singing Credentials:
    1. Three-time state solo champion in school.
    2. Winner Tucson Country Festival.
    3. Gospel Quartet bass traveling the east coast of the US for three years.
    4. Sang with multiple bands.
    5. Sang in the Canadian and British clubs in Moscow and Chinese Embassy.
    6. Impromptu concert before 3,000 in Leicester Square in London.
    7. Sang with Madrigals.
    8. Impromptu singing with Boney M out of the Netherlands in concert.

    Reply
    • Paul A. Freeman

      Wow – especially the Boney M encounter!

      My credentials are singing in the shower and the odd karaoke session.

      Reply
      • Roy Eugene Peterson

        Thank you, Paul! Since you likely know Boney M was a European based rock group, I figured some of you from the UK might know them and their songs from the 1970’s. I sang: 1.) Down by the Rivers of Babylon,” 2. “Brown Girl in the Ring,” 3. “Bonnie and Clyde,” and 4. “Rasputin.” Bobby Farrell, the male singer, invited me to sing those songs that I know with the group while he left the stage and took a break.

  2. Nathan McKee

    Well, Roy, thank you for sharing both your poem and your voice with us, I was able to immerse in the location you were singing about as I listened. I visited Arizona this past April, that was a beautiful time of year in the desert, the flowers were out and many of the valleys were green.

    Reply
    • Roy Eugene Peterson

      You chose and excellent time of year to be there. I loved living there for several years. Thank you for sharing your comments.

      Reply
  3. Paul A. Freeman

    I read and listened simultaneously. Great stuff.

    You really caught the atmosphere of those 1950s Westerns where the young guy whips out his guitar and sings a song to relieve the pressure.

    Let’s hope your stagecoach doesn’t roll for many a year.

    Reply
  4. Mary Gardner

    Roy, thank you for sharing your song. I enjoyed your singing and the lyrics.
    Tucson is misspelled in the title, but is correct in the lyrics.

    Reply
    • Roy Eugene Peterson

      Thank you for telling me. I just looked at it and it was incorrect. I will ask the staff below to correct it to the proper spelling of Tucson. I lived there at separate times for 13 years and promise you I do know how to spell it!. My appreciation for the kind comments and pointing that out.

      Reply
  5. Margaret Coats

    Ah, Roy, I fear the gunslinger should have paid more attention to the mission bell on Sunday morning. But just as it is, yours is a typically sad aubade. And, no joking about holy things, palo santo is a more pleasant fragrance than palo verde!

    Reply
    • Roy Eugene Peterson

      The palo santo scent I do not know, but I remember the palo verde one from my time there. I always appreciate your comments. Thank you.

      Reply
  6. Brian A. Yapko

    I very much enjoyed this poem/song, Roy! Especially all the Mexican touches which are so emblematic of southern Arizona (and all of New Mexico as well!) I’m particularly fond of saguaros which I’ve seen only in select places in Arizona and which do indeed look like they’re praying. I’m impressed by your music composition skills and very glad indeed that we get to hear you sing at last! Well done. I’d love to hear more!

    Reply
    • Roy Eugene Peterson

      I was hoping you would hear my song, especially since you have been living in the southwest. I wish I could play an instrument for accompaniment, but don’t, so I had to provide the song acapella instead. At least I could provide the tune, since I still trust my voice. Recording was simply via computer, so fidelity could have been greatly enhanced. Thank you for your special comments. I will consider more in the future. I have a book of published songs called “Songs from a Sultry Soul.”

      Reply
  7. C.B. Anderson

    I have lived in Tucson many a month of my life. The best place was on a private estate in the foothills of The Santa Catalina Mountains. The saguaros were so thick there that it was hard to keep up with harvesting all the fruit they produced in season. The pulp of the fruit was red and full of tiny crunchy seeds like those of a fig — great with vanilla ice cream.

    Reply
    • Roy Eugene Peterson

      Thank you for sharing that, C.B. I am certain that will surprise many.

      Reply

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