Sweet Betsy from Pike

Don't you remember Sweet Betsy from Pike,

Who crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike,

With Two yoke of ox, and one-spotted hog,

A tall Shanghai rooster, and a ole yeller dog.

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

The Shanghai ran off, and the oxes all died

That morning the last piece of bacon was fried

Poor Ike got discouraged, and Betsy got mad

The dog wagged his tail and looked wondrously sad

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

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 a little suspicious, though all on the square

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

The Injuns came down in a thundering horde,

And Betsy was scared they would scalp her adored.

So behind the wagon-bed Betsy did crawl

And she fought off the Injuns with musket and ball.

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

They soon reached the desert, where Betsy gave out

And down in the sand she lay rolling about

Ike in great horror looked on in surprise,

Saying "Betsy, get up, you'll get sand in your eyes"

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

Sweet Betsy got up with 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

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

They swam the wide rivers and climbed the high peaks

And camped on the mountains for weeks upon weeks

They fought with injuns with with musket and ball.

They reached California in spite of hell

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray

Too-li-ran-foe-too-ra, too-li-ran-foe-too-ray