Chet Nichols

Chet Nichols

Waving Prairie (Best Folk Song Winner)

Story Behind The Song

Top Ten Folk Top Ten USA Top Ten North America Top Ten-Folk: Rural #1 Illinois #1 USA #1 Folk #1 Folk-Americana #1 Folk-Rural

Song Description

I lived in Kansas for many years. It was home base when I was touring. I drove a lot during those days. I became very aware of the subtle rise and fall of the landscape as I drove across the low and high prairies in the central USA. These inspired this song. This and an open-air "be-in" in Lawrence, KS that I attended and performed at where I saw several people flying kites...helped to inspire the tune, too.

Song Length 5:40 Genre Folk - Americana, Folk - Americana
Tempo Medium (111 - 130) Lead Vocal Male Vocal
Mood Ecstatic, In High Spirits Subject Hitchhiking, Change
Similar Artists Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell Language English
Era 2000 and later

Lyrics

"Waving Prairie"
Lyrics and Music by Chet Nichols
Copyright 1969 by Chet Nichols (ASCAP) & Magic Garage Music (ASCAP)
http://www.chetnicholsmusic.com * chet@chetnichols.net
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Off on the waving prairie
The road that brings me home
Is the same road that takes me away
We should all hitchhike once in a while
The feel the need of depending
And to walk the lowly mile
Get caught in a heavy thunderstorm
On the waving prairie

Rebuild the city
Regroup the old stones
Forget the crumbled citadel
And bury all the bones
I?m here and now
Not trying to grow old too soon
I?m gaps that need repair
And I need some wind
Lord, I need some wind
I need some wind to flow
I need some wind to flow
I need some wind to flow
To the waving prairie

You can ride I?d rather walk
Try to keep my pace
This sea of land it takes me in
You?d walk if you weren?t in the race
Live and work and try to be free
Do you listen with your mouth
Or do you use your ears?
Live and work and try to be free
Do you listen from without
Or do you use within?
And bear yourself to a stranger
Live and work
And bear yourself to a stranger
Try to be free
And bear yourself to a stranger
Live and work
And bear yourself from future danger

My fingers are the columns that are braced against the sky
My fingers are the music played from my crystal spy
My fingers play the music that makes you laugh and makes you high
My fingers are the mourning of the Ohio six who died
My fingers are the columns that guide and testify
My fingers are the vehicle that get me around
To the waving prairie
Off on the waving prairie
The road that brings me home
Is the same road that takes me away

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Copyright © 1969 ® ? by Chet Nichols (ASCAP) & Magic Garage Music (ASCAP)
All US and Global rights reserved. This song or any portion thereof (lyrics, music, samples, vocals) may not be reproduced in any form or media, distributed, transmitted, downloaded, shared or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publishers. For permission requests, write to the publisher at chet@chetnichols.net or http://www.chetnichols.net, or addressed to "Attention: Permissions Coordinator," at the address below.
Magic Garage Music, PO Box 2398, Northbrook, IL 60065

Very nice and well done too. Definitely folk. The track has a sound that throws back to the 60's or 70's folk vibe. I liked the thunder effect and kick in to double time. Nice touch!!

Oh what a voice! Love the open tuning and the guitar playing - totally captivating. Thunderstorm sound effects were terrific. Lyrics are rather stream of consciousness...the kind of song you want to listen to just because it's so cool...even if you don't understand everything he's singing about. The guitar rendition is so energy-infused. You almost wish you had a video to watch him play. Recording is crystal clear. Somebody knew how to mike this guitar! Love the slides.

Not the song's fault - but I can't hear the lyrics well enough to single out a name for this song. Med.s fault. but aside from the words I can hear the music and the voices well enough to really like it. The vocals smooth and beautiful. Rich, plummy voice, innovative harmonizing, rich range. The vocals are innovatively and creatively used. I very much enjoyed hearing this.

Great groove. Builds nicely throughout. Hard pan on vocals is a nice effect, really emphasized when the multiparts enter (2:45). Percussion is appropriate for the song and tactfully introduced. The shift in feel (3:57) of the way through is a nice break (Almost a black gospel break over a native pulse - cool) and it returns deftly to the the opening drive. Intonation on alternate tuning and vocals were excellent.

Nice writing. Killer playing and singing. This is such a great sound. Great instrumentation.... sound effects too. The guitar drone (baritone guitar?) is perfect with the tabla. Great vocal and harmony. I could really see what was being sung about. CSNY comes to mind. The change in feel and meter was cool. It's got a real poetic lyric.

Open tuning is not my thing but this one I like. Great acoustic opening - loved the lift when the harmony comes in. Had a nice retro feel - CS&N comes to mind.

Great open feel both vocally and instrumentally. An acoustic journey well taken!

shades of CSNY circa "woodstock" - I play exclusively in open tunings so I really enjoyed the mantra of your acoustic guitar. this offering is reminiscent of what the industry used to call "album tracks" - something an artist could offer as an unexpected treat to the listener because the track would get sparing airplay due to its time length and structure. well done as this listener enjoyed the unexpected treat.

Great growing intensity. Beautiful guitar, vocals and harmonies.
Harkens back to the time of CSNY with some of their epic tunes.

I really like the rhythmic beat you are creating by how you are picking the strings! Really nice guitar arraignment! Love the harmonies.

at the 3:35 mark the change really takes the song to a new level that is cool as snot... then another rise in tempo delivers really a whole new song... I like songs that build and do this, but I've been shot at many times for taking too long to get there... I'm sure you will hear something akin to that as well

very interesting song with "eastern" sensibility

Great guitar work in the opening. Excellent vocal quality. Song builds really well around the halfway mark. The change in instrumentation took me by surprise at 2:50. Some intricate work in the rhythm here. Up yet another level at 4:00. The song has been recorded very well, everything comes through crisp and clear with a great stereo spread.

Lyrics Chet Nichols Music Chet Nichols
Producer Stephen Barncard Publisher Magic Garage Music (ASCAP)
Performance Chet Nichols, Guitar - Zakir Hussain, tabla Label Magic Garage Records
This track is on 1 Member Playlists
Playlist Creator Playlist Name Date Added
Signal 30 Signal 30's 2nd Playlist 10/16/2023

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