Ives, Burl - Sweet Betsy From Pike Lyrics






Now don't you remember sweet Betsy from Pike
Who crossed the big mountains with her lover Ike
Two yoke of oxen a big yeller dog a tall Shanghai rooster
And one spottled hog

One evenin' quite early they camped on the plat
Down by the road on a green shady flat
Where Betsy got tired and lay down to repose
And Ike he just gazed on his Pike County rose

Well they soon reached the desert where Betsy gave out
Down in the sand she lay rollin' about
While Ike in great tears looked on in surprise
He said Betsy get up you'll get sand in your eyes
Well the Shanghai ran off and the cattle all died
The last piece of bacon that mornin' was fried
Ike he got discouraged and Betsy got mad
The dog wagged his tail and looked wonderfully sad

Well a miner said Betsy will you dance with me
I will now old Hoss if you don't make too free
But don't dance me hard do you want to know why
Doggone you I'm chocked full of strong alkali
Ike and sweet Betsy got married of course
But Ike gettin' jealous obtained the divorce
Betsy well satisfied said with a shout
Goodbye you big lummox I'm glad you backed out





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Ives, Burl Sweet Betsy From Pike Comments
  1. A.... ....

    Perfect

  2. D.... C....

    My Dad used to sing this song when I was a kid.

  3. b.... ....

    I didn't know the Snowman from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer sang Sweet Betsy from Pike!

  4. R.... S....

    Oh yes I recall this song from a long time ago!

  5. C.... K....

    There are several variations to the lyrics. I kind of like Ive's yodel-line: it's different. The lyrics can change depending on who is doing the singing/'cover' on the tune. My wife has made up 3 or 4 verses based on our big, orange, fuzzy, Tabby cat ("fat Charlie, the cat"...going west)... that fit the chord-progression. Her 'version' tells a story, too. That's part of the fun of these 'traditional' songs: they can be tweeked/adapted (within reason.) I found a chord-transcription for guitar (supposedly the way Johnny Cash sang the tune)... It is ALL FOULED UP. Its how someone "interpreted" the tune, but... I will probably NEVER sing/play it that way (guitar or Bass.)

  6. G.... P....

    See pictures of Burl Ives in the bathtub taking a bubble bath in The Spiral Road. Burl Ives has big boobs for a man

  7. S.... C....

    Not how it goes! 👿👿👿👿👿👿👿👿👿😿😿😿😿😿😿😿😿😿😿😿😿💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢🎳🎳🎳🎳🎱🎳🎳🎳🎳🎳🎳🎳🎳🎳🎳🎳

    S.... C....

    Mystic Glaceon girl what

    S.... C....

    There are several variations to the lyrics. I kind of like Ive's yodel-line: it's different. The lyrics can change depending on who is doing the singing/'cover' on the tune.
    My wife has made up 3 or 4 verses based on our big, orange, fuzzy, Tabby cat ("fat Charlie, the cat"...going west)... that fit the chord-progression. Her 'version' tells a story, too. That's part of the fun of these 'traditional' songs: they can be tweeked/adapted (within reason.)
    I found a chord-transcription for guitar (supposedly the way Johnny Cash sang the tune)... It is ALL FOULED UP. Its how someone "interpreted" the tune, but... I will probably NEVER sing/play it that way (guitar or Bass.)

    S.... C....

    I'd imagine there are a hundred variations.

  8. b.... ....

    all I am getting is the real estate guy making his pitch to learn how to make all this money selling realestate

  9. R.... H....

    I first heard Burl singing this in the 1940s. He was long one of my favorite folk singers, along with South African Josef Marais. :)

  10. R.... M....

    My mother sang me to sleep with this song when I was little.

  11. e.... f....

    I've always liked Burl Ives; and this song is melodic and fun, as is most of his songs.
    Thanks.