Saddle the Sun

Bob Nolan
Original copyright: March 30, 1940

I’ve been trailin’ happiness all my whole life through.

He’s hard to find, sometimes, I guess, so this is what I’ll have to do….

Refrain:
I’m gonna throw my saddle on the blazin’ sun,
Gonna jump a-straddle, watch him roll and run,
Then forget the battle that my life begun,
Blaze a trail for you to follow when I’ve saddled the sun.
Then we’ll ride the ranges up in the sky,
Let the world below go stumbling by.
We may be short of cattle but there’s lots of fun.
Mark your worries with an outlaw[1] brand and saddle the sun.

When a dark cloud dims the day, here’s a thought I’ll share—
Remember when he rolls away, the sun will still be shinin’ there.

[1] original brand is changed illegally with a running iron

Bob Nolan wrote "Saddle the Sun" with a newly-returned Tim Spencer for Columbia's Spoilers of the Range (April 4, 1939). Tim had elected to take a year's leave of absence and during that year Bob had the entire load of songwriting for the Charles Starrett movies on his shoulders. That was a lot of work when you consider that those films were shot in about 2 weeks each. Bob often said he was working on four or five songs at a time in those days.

Although Bob Nolan shared the songwriting with Tim Spencer in this film, Columbia hired another more conventional baritone to sing his solo parts for him. Bob was forced to lip sync during the singing scenes. It is amusing now to watch these films and listen to Bob ‘singing’ in someone else’s unremarkable baritone while his own distinctive voice is clearly heard in the Pioneer backup. It amused Bob, too. He could not resist hamming it up a little while he mimed his part and, at times, the Sons of the Pioneers could barely restrain their laughter.

He was second lead to Charles Starrett and his character was integral to the story but someone in the Columbia Pictures hierarchy did not like his unusual voice. However, Bob Nolan had loyal fans from many years of Sons of the Pioneers' radio programs, personal appearances, concerts and tours. His fans wanted to hear Bob's unique voice in the movies, too, and they successfully put pressure on Columbia. We finally hear Bob's singing voice in the June 1939 film, Western Caravans - and every film thereafter.

"Saddle the Sun" was registered for copyright on March 30, 1940 and the sheet music was included in Bob Nolan’s Folio of Original Cowboy Classics No. 2, © 1940 American Music, Inc.

Saddle the Sun (American Music, Inc.)

For some reason, it was never commercially recorded and was not included in the Orthacoustic Symphonies of the Sage radio transcriptions.

SONS OF THE PIONEERS TRANSCRIPTION RECORDINGS

10-2-4 Time radio show, (63939-05) No. 476 (January 31, 1945)

Teleways Radio Productions transcriptions, No. 31, 103, 160, 182, and 235 (c. 1947-48)

Lucky U Ranch radio shows (courtesy of Larry Hopper)
- Transcriptions disc TR-270/271 (March 6, 1952)
- Transcriptions disc TR-553/554 (November 7, 1952)
- Transcriptions disc TR-622/623 (December 26, 1952)