Sweet Betsy From Pike
(专辑: American Folk Songbook - 2011)
Did you ever hear tell of sweet Betsy from Pike Who crossed the
wide prairies with her lover Ike With two yoke of cattle and a
one-spotted hog A
tall Shanghai rooster and an old yellow dog One evening quite early they camped on the
Platte Made down their blankets on a
green shady flat Where Betsy, sore-footed, lay down to repose With wonder Ike gazed on his Pike County rose Their wagons broke down with a
terrible crash And out on the
prairie rolled all sorts of trash A
few little baby clothes, done up with care 'Twas rather suspicious, though all on the
square The
Shanghai ran off and the
cattle all died That morning the
last piece of bacon was fried Poor Ike was discouraged, and Betsy got mad The
dog drooped his tail and looked wondrously sad They soon reached the
desert, where Betsy gave out And down in the
sand she lay rolling about While Ike, half distracted, looked on with surprise Saying "Betsy, get up, you'll get sand in your eyes" Sweet Betsy got up in a
great deal of pain Declared she'd go back to Pike County again But Ike heaved a
sigh, and they fondly embraced And they traveled along with his arm 'round her waist They swam the
wide rivers and climbed the
tall peaks And camped on the
prairies for weeks upon weeks Starvation and cholera, hard work and slaughter They reached California spite of hell and high water That morning they stood on a
very high hill And with wonder looked down into old Placerville Ike shouted and said, as he cast his eyes down "Sweet Betsy, my darling, we've got to Hangtown" Long Ike and sweet Betsy attended a
dance Where Ike wore a
pair of his Pike County pants Sweet Betsy was covered with ribbons and rings Said Ike "You're an angel, but where are your wings?" 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"