Help me name an American "classical" song by Copland?

Question

I'm not actually sure if its from Copland (but I'm positive its an American composer). But I've been wanting to know the title for months...It's a slow paced song with cowbells, perhaps. It reminds me of a cow walking slowly if that helps...

I figured out the general melody on my piano. It goes, C F F F, C A C, F F F, CAC, GGG, GFGA, AGF. I'm not sure if it's the right key.

I don't know if this is enough details...I'll try to answer any questions.

I've listened to Appalachian Springs before, it is not that. I'm positive the song is from a classical American composer around the time of Copland. I was always under the impression that Copland wrote it, but I can't be sure.

Yes. I'm aware he's not classical in the actual term (Mozart).

"American classical composers" are different genre.

Answer 1

Not sure but maybe this will help. These are the "works" of Aaron Copeland.

Orchestral music including 3 symphonies, Piano Concerto (1926), Short Symphony (1933), Statements for Orchestra (1933-1935), El salón México (1936), A Lincoln Portrait (1942), Fanfare for the Common Man (1942) and Connotations for Orchestra (1962)
3 ballets, Billy the Kid (1938), Rodeo (1942), Appalachian Spring (1944)
Film scores including The City (1939), Of Mice and Men (1939), Our Town (1940), The Red Pony (1948) and The Heiress (1948)
Piano music, including Piano Variations (1930)
Chamber music; choral music and songs
20th

Answer 2

It bears a resemblance to the traditional Shaker song 'Lord of the Dance' or 'Simple Gifts', upon which Copland composed a series of variations in his ballet 'Appalachian Spring' (1944). The original melody was composed around 100 years earlier by a certain Joseph Brackett Jnr. Copland also did a very simple setting in 1950 as one of his 'Old American Songs'.

These are the words to the original Shaker song:

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

As recently as 1963 Sydney Carter adapted the Shaker melody and composed the song 'Lord of the Dance':

I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.

Chorus:
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said he

I danced for the scribe and the pharisee,
But they would not dance and they wouldn't follow me.
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John -
They came with me and the Dance went on.

Chorus

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame;
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high,
And they left me there on a Cross to die.

Chorus

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black -
It's hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I'd gone,
But I am the Dance, and I still go on.

Chorus

They cut me down and I leapt up high;
I am the life that'll never, never die;
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.

Chorus

Is this what you had in mind?

Answer 3

Technically there is no classical music written by Copland. He composed probably about 300 years after the classical period. Sorry I didn't help much, but we just went over that in my music theory class.