Cat. #0455 (MFH #699) - As sung by Mr. William Edens, Mont Ne, Arkansas on January 20, 1960
VERSE 1
O, my name is William Brown
An' it's awful bad renown
An' my match in this country
Is hard to be found
An' my match in this country
Is hard to be found
VERSE 2
O, pilfering an' stealing
I know it very well
But nothing else but good horses
Suit me very well
But, nothing else but good horses
Suit me very well
VERSE 3
I went to ole Kentucky
An' I passed for a beau
An' a courting black eyed Susan
Straight with, I did go
An' a courting black eyed Susan
Straight with, I did go
VERSE 4
An' a courting black eyed Susan
I took a great delight
Till I stoled another horse
From one Johns William White
VERSE 5
They followed me to Presby
They overtaken me
An' they carried me back
To th pen-a-tent-ery
An' they carried me back
To th pen-a-tent-ery
VERSE 6
They opened up th big door
They wel-comed me in
An' they shaved my head over
Instead of my chin
An' they shaved my head over
Instead of my chin
VERSE 7
They worked me so hard
An' they fed me on poor beef
That I prayed to my own God
I'd never been a thief
Till, I prayed to my own God
That I'd never been a thief
VERSE 8
I served my time out
An' I returned home again
An' I felt just like a wolf
I'd been caught in th pen
An' I felt just like a wolf
I'd been caught in a pen