Golden Lady
Written: 1973
Writers: David Jenneson, Alan Hovden, Peter Sinclair
Status: Recorded and published.
Genre and Style: Pop Ballad
Comments: Dave:Golden Lady was a story song with a strong melody and an Elton John feel. When the band Jigger Pine recorded it, however, the singer talked the song instead of singing it. No explanation was ever provided other than the obvious – the mystifying incompetence of the singer and perhaps the whole band. When the album was released Golden Lady had lost everything we’d worked so hard to invest it with. The melody was gone and in its place the overwrought reading of the lyrics by the singer sounded like a student rendering a soliloquy in a high school play. It was so unfortunate we never really talked about it again.
Come down the Yukon River
I was running for the coast
It was in the spring of ’98
I wanted gold the most
I killed a man in Dawson
Shot him for his claim
The Northwest Mounted found
In his own blood he’d scrawled my name.
I’ll be all right in Eagle
But they’re watching Forty Mile
For a very special passenger
They’ll know him by his smile
There is a girl in Dawson
Waiting at the Quay
Wondering if the Klondike
Will be taking her away.
Oh golden lady
I only wanted you to hold
A handful of your golden hair
Worth more than any share
Of this blood dust and gold.
The boat drew into Dawson
And my fears all fell away
I saw me and my Golden Lady
In the U.S.A.
I ran along the levy
Calling out her name
A Northwest Mounted smiled
And drew his gun and did the same.
Oh golden lady
I only wanted you to hold
A handful of your golden hair
Worth more than any share
Of this blood dust and gold.