Sweet Betsy from Pike

John A. Stone

Melody: do/mi/sol-sol\la

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Oh, d	on’t you rem	ember Sweet B	esty from Pike?

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Who cr	ossed the wide pr	airie with h	er lover Ike

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With tw	o yoke of	oxen, a b	ig yaller d	og

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A t	all Shanghai r	ooster and	one spotted h	og

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One	evening quite	early they c	amped on the Platte

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‘Twas n	ear by the r	oad on a gr	een shady flat

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Where B	etsy, sore-f	ooted, lay d	own to rep	ose

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With w	onder Ike g	azed on that P	ike county r	ose

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The Sh	anghai ran	off, and their c	attle all died

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That m	orning the l	ast piece of b	acon was fried

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Poor	Ike was disc	ouraged and B	etsy got m	ad

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The d	og drooped his t	ail and looked w	ondrously s	ad

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They s	oon reached the d	esert where B	etsy gave out

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And d	own in the s	and she lay r	olling about

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While	Ike, half distr	acted, looked	up with surpr	ise

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Saying, “B	etsy, get	up, you’ll get s	and in your	eyes.”

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Sweet B	etsy got	up in a gr	eat deal of pain

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Decl	ared she’d go b	ack to Pike c	ounty again

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But	Ike gave a s	igh, and they f	ondly embr	aced

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And they tr	aveled al	ong with his	arm ’round her w	aist

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Out on the pr	airie one br	ight starry n	ight

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They br	oke out the wh	isky and B	etsy got tight

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She s	ang and she sh	outed and d	anced o’er the pl	ain

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And m	ade a great sh	ow for the wh	ole wagon tr	ain

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They sw	am the wide r	ivers and cr	oss’d the tall peaks

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And c	amped on the pr	airie for w	eeks upon weeks

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Starv	ation and ch	olera and h	ard work and sl	aughter

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They r	eached Calif	ornia spite of h	ell and high w	ater

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Long	Ike and sweet B	etsey att	ended a dance

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Where	Ike wore a p	air of his P	ike County pants

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Sweet B	etsey was c	overed with r	ibbons and r	ings

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Said	Ike, “You’re an	angel, but wh	ere are your w	ings?”

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Well,	Ike, and sweet B	etsey got m	arried, of course

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But	Ike, getting j	ealous, obt	ained a divorce

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And B	etsy, well s	atisfied, s	aid with a sh	out

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“Good-b	ye, you big l	ummox, I’m gl	ad you backed	out.”

Harry McClintock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEZPAfB04qE

Suzy Bogguss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYFwOOH7tXM

Burl Ives
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gshb3dPl584

Johnny Cash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkamRumVXn4