| lyric | 1. Did you ever hear tell of Sweet Betsy from Pike,
Who crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike,
With two yoke of cattle and on spotted hog
A tall Shanghai rooster and an old yellow dog.
Chorus:
Sing tooraliooraliooraliaye.
2. 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.
3. The Injuns come down in a wild yelling horde
And Betsy got skeered they would scalp her adored,
So behind the front wagon-wheel Betsy did crawl,
And fought off the Inj uns with musket and ball.
4. The wagon tipped over with a terrible crash
And out on the prairie rolled all sorts of trash,
A few little baby clothes, done up with care,
Looked rather suspicious, but ’twas all on the square.
5. Sweet Betsy got up with a great deal of pain
And declared she’d go back to Pike County again,
Then Ike heaved a sigh and they fondly embraced,
And she travelled along with his arm round her waist.
6. They passed the Sierras through mountains of snow,
Till old California was sighted below.
Sweet Betsy she hollered, and Ike gave a cheer,
„Saying, Betsy, my darlin’, I’m a made millioneer.“
7. Long Ike and Sweet Betsy got married, of course,
But Ike, who was jealous obtained a divorce,
And Betsy, well satisfied, said with a smile,
„I’ve six good men waitin’ within halfa mile.“ |