A Book of Ballads, Old and New (Electronic book text)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. Excerpt from book: American Balladsi textit{THE OLD CHISHOLM TRAIL i Come along, boys, and listen to my tale, I'll tell you of my troubles on the old Chisholm trail. Coma ti yi youpy, youpy ya, youpy ya, Coma ti yi youpy, youpy ya. a I started up the trail October twenty-third, I started up the trail with the 2-U herd. 3 Oh, a ten dollar hoss and a forty dollar saddle, And I'm goin' to punchin' Texas cattle. 4 I woke up one morning on the old Chisholm trail, Rope in my hand and a cow by the tail. textit{5 I'm up in the mornin' afore daylight, And afore I sleep the moon shines bright. 6 Old Ben Bolt was a blamed good boss, But he'd go to see the gals on a sore-backed hoss. i From Lomax's textit{Cowboy Songs and other Frontier Ballads, copyright, 1910, by Sturgis and Walton. Words and music reprinted by permission. 7 Old Ben Bolt was a fine old man, And you'd know there was whiskey wherever he'd land. 8 We hit Caldwcll and we hit her on the fly, We bedded down the cattle on the hill close by. 9 No chaps, no slicker, and it's pouring clown rain, And I swear, by god, I'll never night-herd again. 10 Feet in the stirrups and seat in the saddle, I hung and rattled with them long-horn cattle. 1t Last night I was on guard and the leader broke the ranks, I hit my horse down the shoulders and I spurred him in the flanks. 12 The wind commenced to blow, and the rain began to fall, Hit looked, by grab, like we was goin' to loss 'em all. 13 I jumped in the saddle and grabbed holt the horn, Best blamed cow-puncher ever was born. 14 Foot in the stirrup and hand on the horn, Best blamed cowboy ever was born. 15 We rounded 'em up and put 'em on the cars, And that was the last of the old Two Bars. 16 Oh it's bacon and beans 'most every day, I'd as soon be a-eatin' prairie hay. ...