Did you ever hear tell of sweet Betsy from Pike,
Who crossed the wide prairies with her lover Ike,
With two yoke of oxen and one spotted hog
A tall shanghai rooster an old yaller dog?
One evening quite early they camped on the Platte,
Twas near by the road on a green shady flat;
Where Betsy, quite tired, lay down to repose,
While with wonder Ike gazed on his Pike County rose.
Out on the prairie one bright moon-lit night
They broke out the whisky and Betsy got tight,
She sang and she shouted and danced on the plain,
Showed her -- modisty -- to the whole wagon train.
The alkali desert was burning and bare,
And Isac's soul shrank from the death lurking there:
"Dear Old Pike County, I'll come back to you"
Said Betsy, "You'll go by yourself if you do."
The shanghai ran off and the cattle all died
The last piece of bacon that morning was fried
Ike got discouraged and Betsy got mad
The dog wagged his tail and looked wonderfully sad.
They reached California, Ike said "What a view,
Now that we're here, Betsy what shall we do?"
"We'll build a big city with freeways and cars
Earth quakes mud slides and rich movie stars."
