Chant of the Plains (I Need You)

Bob Nolan
Original copyright: June 15, 1936

All through the prairie I wander.
Night falls and I long for you.
Everything here in God’s Garden
Shares my longing, too.

Refrain:
Listen to the prairie weave a song from a wail,
Listen to him blend it with the nightingale,
Wingin’ up above where the dark clouds sail and fly.
I need you.
Listen to the rhythm of the padded feet,
Stealin’ through the desert, hear his wild heart beat,
Searchin’ for his love and my heart repeats his cry,

"I need you."
Far in the distance hear that note
It’s born of a call in a savage throat who waits a mate’s reply.
Listen to the moanin’ of the wind on its way,
Everything he touches, see it bend and sway,
Seem to pledge a love and send him on his way, that’s why
I need you.

Note: In the transcription, the following verse was added and does not appear in the song folio:

Each livin’ thing bows in sadness
Flowers of crimson and blue
They need the sunshine for smilin’
Darlin’, I need you.

"Chant of the Plains" is one of Bob Nolan's loveliest evocative compositions and one of his earliest. It was not written for a movie, he wrote it for himself.

It was not recorded commercially until 1960 for RCA Victor. Although many Sons of the Pioneers' fans object to the French horn in their later recordings, it does make us feel the vastness and loneliness of the desert. All previous arrangements - the radio transcriptions for Standard in 1935, Rex Allen shows, Smokey the Bear and the Lucky U program - did nothing for the song. One transcription made for the 10-2-4 Ranch show is the exception. Featuring Martha Mears, we hear the actual melody in this recording. For some reason, the Sons of the Pioneers neglected to record it for their popular Orthacoustic "Symphonies of the Sage".

"Chant of the Plains" was registered for copyright on June 15, 1936 and the sheet music was first published in Songs of the Prairie Folio No. 3, January 9, 1937 Cross & Winge, Inc.

Chant of the Plains (Cross & Winge, Inc.)

SONS OF THE PIONEERS TRANSCRIPTION RECORDINGS

Sons of the Pioneers: Standard Radio transcriptions B 3062-A Side LL (1935)

Sons of the Pioneers: Teleways Radio Productions transcriptions Nos. 9, 59, 158, and 224, (c. 1947-48)

Sons of the Pioneers: Smokey the Bear radio show episode No. 5 (1955), episode No. 5 (1958)

Sons of the Pioneers: Lucky U Ranch radio shows (courtesy of Larry Hopper)
- Transcription Disc TR-93, 94 (November 15, 1951)
- Transcription Disc TR-178, 179 (January 7, 1952)
- Transcription Disc TR-312, 313 (April 4, 1952)
- Transcription Disc TR-373, 374 (May 19, 1952)
- Transcription Disc TR-547, 548 (November 4, 1952)
- Transcription Disc TR-636, 637 (January 6, 1953)