1849 Lyrics

1849 lyrics

1849 

 Lighthouse 

 - written by Skip Prokop and Ralph Cole 

 - as recorded by Lighthouse on the 1971 album "One Fine Morning" 

  

 Wagons rolled out under darkened skies 

 The sun refused to shine 

 Four-hundred people full of hopes and dreams 

 In eighteen-forty-nine 

 They waved goodbye, women dried their tears 

 Young men hid their fears 

 They headed west, full of confidence 

 That their fortunes would appear 

  

 They packed a trunk full of china, a bible or two 

 A shotgun for Leroy, a pistol for Lou 

 A pretty dress for Sarah 

 And a hat for sister Fay 

 No one thought their greed for gold would change their lives someday 

  

 They headed west in eighteen-forty-nine 

 Sixty-one wagons, two miles long in a line 

 They headed west in eighteen-forty-nine 

  

 ------ guitar ------ 

  

 March winds came, filled the sky with lightnin' 

 It rained all day and night 

 Old men died and backs were broken 

 As they set their wagons right 

 They crossed the mountains, came down to the sea 

 Sure that it would be 

 Gold and riches and a life of ease 

 But what they didn't see... 

  

 Was a trunk full of china all broken in two 

 A shotgun for Leroy that he used on Lou 

 A pretty dress for Sarah 

 That they used to bury Fay 

 No one thought their greed for gold would change their lives that way 

  

 They came for gold in eighteen-forty-nine 

 Sixty-one wagons, two miles long in a line 

 A promised land in eighteen-forty-nine 

 A promised land in eighteen-forty-nine 

 A promised land in eighteen-forty-nine