“Roll
along Wagon Train
Rollin’
over prairie where there ain’t no grass,
Rollin’
over mountain where there ain’t no pass.
Sittin’
on a board, eyein’ the weather,
Prayin’
to the Lord, we stay together
Side
by side on the Wagon Train.
Wagon
Train, roll along.
Pickin
up a passenger in every town,
Wonderin’
if he’s ever gonna shoot you down.
Lookin’
for a pal, ain’t it a pity,
Looking
for a gal, needn’t be pretty
If
she’ll ride on the Wagon Train.
Wagons Ho!
Gotta
keep em on the run.
Time
to go and follow the sun.
Roll
along Wagon Train.
Never
had a cabin near a general store,
Only
had a wagon and a forty-four.
Sittin
on a board, eyein’ the weather
Prayin’
to the Lord, we stay together
Side
by side on the Wagon Train.”
~ Theme song from the television
series “Wagon Train,” which used the instrumental version, but lyrics do exist,
as sung by star Robert Horton.
“Wagons
Ho!” as Ward Bond (1903-1960) said as wagon master Seth Adams on the western
television series “Wagon Train,” which ran on NBC 1957-1962 and ABC 1962-1965. Ward
Bond was the original star with Robert Horton (1924-2016), who portrayed
frontier scout Flint McCullough.
My
late grandfather loved Wagon Train, though I really never saw it, as the series
ended before I was born, until I watched the reruns in recent years – and
developed a mad crush on Robert Horton!
I
thought it would be fun to take this covered wagon music box that was a gift to
my grandfather out in the backyard to photograph with some artistic
enhancements and sepia on a sunny summer day in late June.
The
result is Wagons Ho!
Wagon
Train chronicled the adventures of a wagon train as it makes its way from St.
Joseph, Missouri to California and the trials and tribulations of the series
regulars who conducted the train through the American West.
Episodes
revolved around the stories of guest characters typically played by stars such
as Bette Davis, Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan, Lee Marvin and Joseph Cotton portraying
various members of the massive wagon train or encountered by it. Episode titles
routinely emphasized the guest characters with titles such as “The Willy Moran
Story” and “The Echo Pass Story.”
So
notable was the show that veteran film director John Ford came on board to
direct a 1960 segment.
The
series was inspired by the 1950 film “Wagon Master” directed by John Ford and
starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr. and Ward Bond, and harkens back to the
early widescreen wagon train epic “The Big Trail” (1930) starring John Wayne
and featuring Ward Bond in his first major screen appearance, playing a
supporting role. Robert Horton’s buckskin outfit as the scout in the first
season of the television series resembles John Wayne’s, who also played the
wagon train’s scout in the earlier film.
