REQ: Little Joe Lyrics
spe...@murray.fordham.edu
I am looking for the lyrics to the song "Little Joe the Wrangler."
This song was redone a few years ago on the Roy Rogers Tribute Album. Any-
one who has these, I would greatly appreciate it ! Thanks in advance.
-Corey
Peter Shenkin
This is one of my favorites. I always liked the Bob Wills version,
but Red Steagall also did it, and certainly one of the more, umm,
interesting versions is the one Marlene Dietrich sings in the
opening scene of "Rancho Notorious", directed by Fritz Lang.
The song was written by Jack Thorpe, and has the ring of a "real"
cowboy song to it. If anyone knows more about Jack Thorpe, please
tell.
Anyway, here are as many words as I can think of, based on the Wills
version. The two other versions I've mentioned differ somewhat--
from each other as well as from the Wills version. I don't know
how Roy did it (or done it, as the case may be).
Incidentally, I once used this song to start a thread on rec.
music.country.western about songs mentioning child abuse. We
came up with some great ones; "Little Benny" and "Little Blossom"
(especially) come to mind.
Little Joe the Wrangler, by "Jack" Thorpe:
Little Joe the wrangler, he'll wrangle never more,
His days with the remuda they are o'er,
'Twas a year ago last April when he rode into our camp,
Just a little Texas stray and all alone.
He said he'd had to leave his home, his pa had married twice,
And his new ma whipped him every day or two,
So he saddled up old Chaw(?) and then he lit a chuck this way,
And now he's out to paddle his own canoe.
He asked the boss to give him work, said he'd do the best he could,
Though he didn't know straight up about a cow,
So the boss he showed him to a mount and kindly helped him on,
Cause he kind of liked our little kid somehow.
Showed him how to wrangle horses, and know 'em all apart
And get 'em in by daybreak if he could,
Showed him how to hitch the horses to the old chuckwagon,
And help the cucinero rustle wood.
We were headed for Red River, the weather being fine,
Camped on the south side on a ridge,
When a Northern come a blowin' we had doubled up our guard,
Cause it took all of us to hold 'em in.
Little Joe the wrangler was called out with the rest,
Though the kid had scarcely reached the herd,
When the cattle they got frightened, and rushed in wild stampede,
And we were all a-ridin' for the lead.
Amid the streaks of lightnin', a rider could be seen,
It was little Joe the wrangler in the lead,
He was on old Blue Rocket, a slicker o'er his head,
Tryin' to catch the cattle in their speed.
At last we got them milling, and kind of quieted down,
And the extra guards to the campfire they did go,
But one of them was missing, and we all knew at a glance,
'Twas our little Texas stray, poor wrangler Joe.
Next morning just at daybreak, we found where Rocket fell,
Down in a washout twenty feet below,
Beneath the horse, smashed to a pulp, his spurs had rung the knell,
For our little Texas stray, poor wrangler Joe.
I think I got 'em all, though perhaps with a few minor changes. (Such
as the 4-minor that's sometimes put in on the last measure of the third
line. :-) )
LJtW, RIP,
-P.
--
************ "There Won't Be Any More." Charlie Rich, RIP ***********
*Peter S. Shenkin, Box 768 Havemeyer Hall, Chemistry, Columbia Univ.,*
*NY, NY 10027; she...@columbia.edu; (212)854-5143; FAX: 678-9039*
********* John Gilmore, RIP. Not to mention S. Chandrasekhar. *********