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Cowboy Songs, and Other Frontier Ballads

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2019
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And then we rode towards Texas, that good old Lone Star State,
But on Nebraska's prairies the James boys we did meet;
With knives, guns, and revolvers we all sat down to play,
A-drinking of good whiskey to pass the time away.

A Union Pacific railway train was the next we did surprise,
And the crimes done by our bloody hands bring tears into my eyes.
The engineerman and fireman killed, the conductor escaped alive,
And now their bones lie mouldering beneath Nebraska's skies.

Then we saddled horses, northwestward we did go,
To the God-forsaken country called Min-ne-so-te-o;
I had my eye on the Northfield bank when brother Bob did say,
"Now, Cole, if you undertake the job, you will surely curse the day."

But I stationed out my pickets and up to the bank did go,
And there upon the counter I struck my fatal blow.
"Just hand us over your money and make no further delay,
We are the famous Younger brothers, we spare no time to pray."

MISSISSIPPI GIRLS

Come, all you Mississippi girls, and listen to my noise,
If you happen to go West, don't you marry those Texian boys;
For if you do, your fortune will be
Cold jonny-cake and beefsteak, that's all that you will see,—
Cold jonny-cake and beefsteak, that's all that you will see.

When they go courting, here's what they wear:
An old leather coat, and it's all ripped and tore;
And an old brown hat with the brim tore down,
And a pair of dirty socks, they've worn the winter round.

When one comes in, the first thing you hear
Is, "Madam, your father has killed a deer";
And the next thing they say when they sit down
Is, "Madam, the jonny-cake is too damned brown."

They live in a hut with hewed log wall,
But it ain't got any windows at all;
With a clap-board roof and a puncheon floor,
And that's the way all Texas o'er.

They will take you out on a live-oak hill
And there they will leave you much against your will.
They will leave you on the prairie, starve you on the plains,
For that is the way with the Texians,—
For that is the way with the Texians.

When they go to preaching let me tell you how they dress;
Just an old black shirt without any vest,
Just an old straw hat more brim than crown
And an old sock leg that they wear the winter round,—
And an old sock leg that they wear the winter round.

For your wedding supper, there'll be beef and cornbread;
There it is to eat when the ceremony's said.
And when you go to milk you'll milk into a gourd;
And set it in the corner and cover it with a board;
Some gets little and some gets none,
For that is the way with the Texians,—
For that is the way with the Texians.

THE OLD MAN UNDER THE HILL

There was an old man who lived under the hill,
Chir-u-ra-wee, lived under the hill,
And if he ain't dead he's living there still,
Chir-u-ra-wee, living there still.

One day the old man went out to plow,
Chir-u-ra-wee, went out to plow;
'Tis good-bye the old fellow, and how are you now,
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, and how are you now.

And then another came to his house,
Chir-u-ra-wee, came to his house;
"There's one of your family I've got to have now,
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, got to have now.

"It's neither you nor your oldest son,
Chir-u-ra-wee, nor your oldest son."
"Then take my old woman and take her for fun,
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, take her for fun."

He takened her all upon his back,
Chir-u-ra-wee, upon his back,
And like an old rascal went rickity rack,
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, went rickity rack.

But when he got half way up the road,
Chir-u-ra-wee, up the road,
Says he, "You old lady, you're sure a load,"
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, you're sure a load.

He set her down on a stump to rest,
Chir-u-ra-wee, stump to rest;
She up with a stick and hit him her best.
Sing chir-u-ra-wee, hit him her best.
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