JESSE JAMES
Sung by: Almeda Riddle
Recorded on 5/10/62

 Click here to listen to the original recording
(Comment by Mrs. Riddle: "And to be fair, I had better tell you that my father never allowed me to sing this or mention it in any way, and I don't do it very well. That's the unvarnished truth, now. That's right.")

Jesse James was a lad that had killed many a man;
He robbed the Danville train,
And the dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard
Has laid Jesse James in his grave.
It was Robert Ford, the dirty little coward.
I wonder how he feels,
For he ate Jesse's bread, and he slept in Jesse's bed.
Then he laid Jesse James in his grave.

It was with his brother Frank
      that he robbed the Galatian bank,
And he carried that money from the town.
It was at that very place they had a little chase,
For they shot old Captain Sheets to the ground.
They went to the crossing not very far from there,
And there they did the same.
With that agent on his knees, he soon delivered up the keys
To the outlaws Frank and Jesse James.
Jesse had a wife to mourn his life,
Children that were brave,
But that dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard
Has laid Jesse James in his grave.

It was on a Wednesday night; not a star was in sight,
And they robbed the Glendale train.
The people, they did say for many miles away,
"It was robbed by Frank and Jesse James."
It was on a Saturday night, and Jesse was at home,
Just talking with his family brave,
Robert Ford came along like a thief in the night,
And he laid old Jesse in the grave.

Now the people held their breaths
      when they heard of Jesse's death,
And wondered how he come to die.
It was one of his own gang called Little Robert Ford
Who shot Jesse James on the sly,
And this song was made by Billy S. Slade
As soon as the news did arrive.
Said, "There's not one man with the law in his hand
That could take old Jesse James alive,"
For Jesse had his wife to mourn his life,
And children that were brave,
But that dirty little coward who shot Mr. Howard
Has laid old Jesse James in his grave.

Also found in Randolph, Vol. II, #132; Brown, Vol. II, #243; Belden, p. 401.

All Songs Recorded by John Quincy Wolf, Jr., unless otherwise noted

The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection
Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas
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