1849 - 1849 lyrics

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 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