Song of the Week 23: (Katie And The) Navajo Rug

A Colorado diner, a short-order cook, a waitress, an old boss, a stuffed bear, and a Navajo rug on the wall … it all adds up to one of the most endearing songs ever about ‘the road not taken.’ Co-written by western songwriters Ian Tyson (“Someday Soon”) and Tom Russell (“Tonight We Ride”), this song debuted on Tyson’s 1986 album “Cowboyography,” with later covers by Russell and Jerry Jeff Walker also popular.

Our wistful version from our 2014 album “A Little Farther West” is one of our most requested songs live. Tom Russell explains online the kitchen call “whiskey toast” is really just “rye toast” (most likely from Tex Ritter’s hit “Rye Whiskey”). And older Navajo rugs (pre-1900) were most often dyed with indigo (blue) and cochineal (red) colors. Our contributions are the descending and ascending chords in the verse, moving the last line of each verse down a third, and repeating the opening verse at the end of the song.