Sweet Betsy From Pike

Do you remember sweet Betsy from Pike?
She crossed the wide prairies with her lover Ike
With two yoke of cattle and one spottled hog
And a tall Shanghai rooster and an old yellow dog

They soon reached the desert where Betsy gave out
And down in the sand she lay rolling about
Ike half distracted looked on in surprise
Saying, "Betsy, get up, you'll get sand in your eyes"

Sweet Betsy got up in a great deal of pain
She declared she'd go back to Pike County again
But Ihe, he just sighed then they fondly embraced
So he traveled along with his arm 'round her waist

They swam the wide rivers and climbed the tall peaks
They camped upon prairies for weeks upon weeks
Starvation and cholera, hard work and slaughter
They reached California 'spite of hell and high water

Then a miner said, "Betsy, will you dance with me?"
She answers, "I will if you want make two free
I can't dance too hard, do you want to know why?
Because I'm so full of that strong alkali"

This Pike County couple got married, of course
But Ike became jealous, obtained a divorce
And Betsy, well-satisfied, said with a shout
"Goodbye, you big lummox, I'm glad you backed out!"