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Jesse James was a man who was known throughout the land; he was bold, he
was bad but he was brave;
But that dirty little coward that shot down Mr. Howard, has gone and
laid poor Jesse in his grave.
- Oh, I wonder where my poor old Jesse's gone. (Repeat)
I'm gonna meet him in that land where I've never been before. I wonder where my poor old Jesse's gone.
Jesse James and his brother Frank had a Southern mamma and a daddy to thank
For raisin' them up in that good old Southern way.
It was out on the Kansas and Missouri line back in those dark and dangerous times
Just before Missouri got bloodied in the Civil War.
Jesse James, Jesse James, he robbed banks and he robbed trains.
The Pinkerton men tried to hunt him down. They followed him around from town to town,
But they never laid a hand on Jesse James
There was lots of bad trouble on the border back then and a lot of the fightin' had to do with revenge.
There wasn't much way you could sit back and not take sides.
Frank went off to ride with Quantrill; Jesse threw in with Bloody Bill
And they fought against the Jayhawkers over on the Kansas side.
The war drug on for four long years and the mothers of Missouri shed a river of tears
For all the lootin' and the burnin' and the killin' of a lot of good men.
But the trouble wasn't over when the peace finally came, at least not for people like Jesse James.
There wasn't any quarter for the men who rode with Quantrill.
Jesse James, Jesse James...
So Jesse and Frank and the Youngers and the rest who had fought for their families and had given their best
Didn't have much choice but to turn to a life of crime.
They robbed from the people who was robbin' their friends, like the fat cat bankers and the railroad men
And lots of people was secretly on their side.
Jesse James, Jesse James...
It was on a Wednesday night; the moon was shining bright; Bob Ford had been hiding in a cave.
Well, he ate of Jesse's bread and he slept in Jesse's bed, and now he's
gone and laid poor Jesse in his grave.
Oh, I wonder where my poor old Jesse's gone...
Jesse was alone; he was straightening up his home. He stood on a chair to dust a picture frame.
When Bob Ford fired the ball that pulled Jesse from the wall, now he's gone and laid poor Jesse in his grave.
Oh, I wonder where my poor old Jesse's gone...
Jesse James, Jesse James, he robbed banks and he robbed trains...
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