T-R-A-I-L

Music (“G-L-O-R-I-A”) copyright © 1963 by Van Morrison
Words Creative Commons License 2014 by Jim Bearden

One of the things I’ve spent quite a bit of time doing since I retired is working on trail maintenance in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, along with other members of the Trail Crew. One tradition is a shared barbecue for all the members of the crew at the end of the season, and in 2014, that was held at a house on a local street named Gloria Drive, or, as the invitation put it, “G-L-O-R-I-A”, invoking the classic Van Morrison song. I sat down with my guitar to see if I could remember the song, and in the process, started coming up with a new set of words about our work on the Trail Crew. This is the result.

Verse 1:
Want to tell you about our job, baby
You know we’re really getting down.
If you really want to know this park, baby,
You’ve got to get out on the ground.

Verse 2:
You know we come out every year,
Just about springtide;
Make those trails look so good, baby,
Make them feel all right.

Chorus:
Because we’re the T-R-A-I-L-L-L-L-L-
T-R-A-I-L (Trail Crew),
T-R-A-I-L (Trail Crew),
Gonna shout it all night (Trail Crew),
Gonna shout it everyday (Trail Crew),
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.

Verse 3:
You know we come out every year,
Just about springtide;
Make those trails look so good, baby,
Make them feel all right.

Verse 4:
When we’re finished with the North Grove,
And the Overlook’s through,
There’s misery on the Lava Bluffs,
And the River Trail, too;
Working on through the Bradley,
And the South Grove Trail,
With our rakes and our Thaus, baby,
Ain’t no way we’re gonna fail.

Chorus:
Because we’re the T-R-A-I-L-L-L-L-L-
T-R-A-I-L (Trail Crew),
T-R-A-I-L (Trail Crew),
Gonna shout it all night (Trail Crew),
Gonna shout it everyday (Trail Crew),
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.

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