Cole Younger

Cat. #0452 (MFH #104) - As sung by Mr. William Edens, Mont Ne, Arkansas on January 20, 1960

VERSE 1
I am a bandit highway man
Cole Younger is my name
Of many a depredation
Has caused my friends to shame
It was th rob of th Northfield bank
Th same I'll never deny
For which I am a prisoner now
In Stillwater jail, I lie

VERSE 2
A many a bold robberre
Th truth to you I'll tell
T'was once't upon a Californy miner
On whom I befell
We robbed him of his money, boys
An' bid 'im go his way
For which I will be sorro of
Until my dying day

VERSE 3
Then we started out for Texas
That good old lonestar state
While upon Nebraskys prairies
Th James boys, we did meet
With knives, guns an' revolvers
We all sit down t' play
We drank a lot of good whiskey, boys
To pass th time away

VERSE 4
Th Union Pacfic railway train
Was th next we did suprise
Th engineerman, fireman w's killed
Conductor escaped alive
Their bodies now lie mouldering
Beneath Nebraskys burning skies

VERSE 5
Then, we started out, it's northward
An' northward we did go
Till we came to that cold country
Called Minnesotyo
I had my eyes on Northfield bank
When brother Bob, did say
Cole if you undertake th job
You'll always curse th day

VERSE 6
We stationed out our peckets
An' up t' th bank did go
While there upon th counter
I struck th fatal blow
Come hand me o'er your money, boys
An' make no delay
We are th James an' Younger boys
No time to spare for play

(Mr. Eden tells quite a story about the Youngers and the Jesse James gang).

Variants