Cole Younger

Cat. #0699 (MFH #104) - As sung by Virgil Lance, Mountain Home, Arkansas on April 15, 1969

VERSE 1
I am a bold highway man
Cole Younger is my name
My many depredations 'as
Brought my friends t' shame
Robb'in of th Northfield Bank
Of which brother Bob did say,
O, Cole, when we undertake that job
We'll surely curse th day

VERSE 2
There are no bolder robbries
T'hn th ones of which I tell
California miner, with whom their lot befell
We robbed him of his money, boys
N' bid him go his way
Of which we shall be sorry
Until our dy'in day

VERSE 3
We robbed th Union Depot
Th freight an' supplies
Bloody records of our deeds
Brought tears into our eyes
Th fireman, engineerman was killed
N' th conductor 'scaped with his life
And now their bodies lie mouldering
Beneath Nebraska skies

VERSE 4
Then we started for Texas
That good ole lone-star-state
Out on Newbrasky prairies
Th James boys we did meet
With guns, knives, revolvers
We all set down t' play
While drink'in of good whiskey
T' pass th time away

VERSE 5
Then we mounted our horses
An' northward we did go
To that God forgotten country
Called Minni-soty-o
We rode them all their fathers debt
An' tried t' win th prize
An' fight those anti-guerrillo boys
Until th day we die

VERSE 6
Right there we stationed our pickets
An' in t' th bank did go
T'was there upon th counter
We struck th fatal blow
Saying, hand over your money, boys
Without any further delay
For we're th notorious Younger Boys
An' got no time t' play

Variants