Sweet Betsy from Pike
Encyclopedia
"Sweet Betsy from Pike" is an American ballad about the trials of a pioneer named Betsy and her lover Ike who migrate from Pike County
(probably Missouri
) to California
. This Gold Rush
-era song, with lyrics written by John A. Stone before 1858, was recorded by Burl Ives
on February 11, 1941 for his debut album Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger
. The melody is of English extraction and is also that of the ballad 'Villikins and his Dinah'. The melody was also the basis of an Irish ballad by Clannad
, titled 'Thíos Cois Na Trá Dom' found on their first album.
The most verifiable traditional lyrics, which are in the public domain, are:
The "A-25 song" of Fleet Air Arm
uses the same melody as Sweet Betsy from Pike, as does the Ulster
folk song "Old Orange Flute".
Pike County
Pike County is the name of ten counties in the United States:* Pike County, Alabama* Pike County, Arkansas* Pike County, Georgia* Pike County, Illinois* Pike County, Indiana* Pike County, Kentucky* Pike County, Mississippi* Pike County, Missouri...
(probably Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
) to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. This Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
-era song, with lyrics written by John A. Stone before 1858, was recorded by Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
on February 11, 1941 for his debut album Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger
Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger
Released in August 1941, Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger is an album consisting of four 10-inch records by Burl Ives. This record set marked Ives's debut as a recording artist...
. The melody is of English extraction and is also that of the ballad 'Villikins and his Dinah'. The melody was also the basis of an Irish ballad by Clannad
Clannad
Clannad are an Irish musical group, from Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Their music has been variously described as bordering on folk and folk rock, Irish, Celtic and New Age, often incorporating elements of an even broader spectrum of smooth jazz and Gregorian chant...
, titled 'Thíos Cois Na Trá Dom' found on their first album.
The most verifiable traditional lyrics, which are in the public domain, are:
- Did you ever hear tell of Sweet Betsy from Pike,
- Who crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike,
- Two yoke of cattle, a large yeller dog,
- A tall Shanghai rooster, and a one-spotted hog.
- Singing too-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.
- They swam the wide rivers and crossed the tall peaks,
- And camped on the prairie for weeks upon weeks.
- Starvation and cholera, hard work and slaughter--
- They reached California 'spite of hell and high water.
- One evening quite early they camped on the Platte,
- Twas near by the road on a green shady flat.
- Betsy, sore-footed, lay down to repose--
- With wonder Ike gazed on that Pike County rose.
- The Injuns came down in a thundering horde,
- And Betsy was scared they would scalp her adored.
- So under the wagon-bed Betsy did crawl
- And she fought off the Injuns with musket and ball.
- The wagon 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,
- Looked rather suspicious, but all on the square.
- They stopped at Salt Lake to inquire of the way,
- When BrighamBrigham YoungBrigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
declared that Sweet Betsy should stay. - Betsy got frightened and ran like a deer,
- While Brigham stood pawing the ground like a steer.
- The alkali desert was burning and bare,
- And Isaac's soul shrank from the death that lurked there.
- "Dear old Pike County, I'll go back to you"--
- Says Betsy, "You'll go by yourself if you do!"
- They soon reached the desert, where Betsy gave out,
- And down in the sand she lay rolling about.
- Ike in great wonder looked on in surprise,
- Saying, "Betsy, get up, you'll get sand in your eyes."
- Sweet Betsy got up in a great deal of pain.
- She declared she'd go back to Pike County again.
- Ike gave a sigh, and they fondly embraced,
- And they traveled along with his arm round her waist.
- The Shanghai ran off, and the cattle all died,
- That morning the last piece of bacon was fried.
- Ike got discouraged, Betsy got mad,
- The dog drooped his tail and looked wonderfully sad.
- They suddenly stopped on a very high hill,
- With wonder looked down upon old PlacervillePlacerville, CaliforniaPlacerville is the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 10,389 at the 2010 census, up from 9,610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. - Ike said to Betsy, as he cast his eyes down,
- "Sweet Betsy, my darling, we've got to Hangtown."
- Long Ike and Sweet Betsy attended a dance.
- Ike wore a pair of his Pike County pants.
- Betsy was covered with ribbons and rings.
- Says Ike, "You're an angel, but where is your wings?"
- A miner said, "Betsy, will you dance with me?"
- "I will that, old hoss, if you don't make too free.
- Don't dance me hard, do you want to know why?
- Doggone you, I'm chock-full of strong alkali."
- This Pike County couple got married, of course,
- But Ike became jealous, and obtained a divorce.
- Betsy, well-satisfied, said with a shout,
- "Goodby, you big lummox, I'm glad you backed out!"
The "A-25 song" of Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
uses the same melody as Sweet Betsy from Pike, as does the Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
folk song "Old Orange Flute".
Versions
Since then, it has been recorded by many others, including:- Bob GibsonBob Gibson (musician)Samuel Robert Gibson was a folk singer who led a folk music revival in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was known for playing both the banjo and the 12-string guitar. He introduced a then largely unknown Joan Baez at the Newport Folk Festival of 1959. He produced a number of LPs in the decade...
- BR549, for the 2008 compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Song of AmericaSong of America (album)Song of America is a 3-disc, compilation album comprising 50 songs related to the history of America. Released on September 18, 2007 under Split Rock Records/Thirty One Tigers, the music collection was conceived by former U.S... - Cisco HoustonCisco HoustonGilbert Vandine 'Cisco' Houston was an American folk singer and songwriter who is closely associated with Woody Guthrie due to their extensive history of recording together....
- David Allan CoeDavid Allan CoeDavid Allan Coe is an American outlaw country music singer who achieved popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. He has written and performed over 280 original songs throughout his career...
- Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
- Larry GroceLarry GroceLarry Groce is an American singer-songwriter and radio host. Since 1983, Groce has served as the host and artistic director of Mountain Stage, a two-hour live music program produced by West Virginia Public Radio and distributed by NPR. He first entered the national spotlight in 1976 when his...
, for the 1986 album “Disney Children's Favorites 3Disney Children's Favorites 3Disney Children's Favorites 3 is a collection of 23 best-loved songs for kids. The songs are performed by Larry Groce and The Disneyland Children's Sing-Along Chorus. The Choral Director is Betty Joyce...
” - Pete SeegerPete SeegerPeter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
- Riders in the Sky
- Rosemary ClooneyRosemary ClooneyRosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
- Jackie DeShannonJackie DeShannonJackie DeShannon is an American singer-songwriter with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards. She was one of the first female singer-songwriters of the rock 'n' roll period.- Life and early career :...
- Tom PaxtonTom PaxtonThomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
- The LimelitersThe LimelitersThe Limeliters are an American folk music group, formed in July 1959 by Lou Gottlieb , Alex Hassilev , and Glenn Yarbrough . The group was active from 1959 until 1965, when they disbanded. After a hiatus of sixteen years Yarbrough, Hassilev, and Gottlieb reunited and began performing as...
from the 1963 album, "Fourteen 14K Folk Songs" - Richard FarnsworthRichard FarnsworthRichard W. Farnsworth was an American actor and stuntman. His film career began in 1937; however, he achieved his greatest success for his performances in The Grey Fox and The Straight Story , for which he received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor.- Early life :Farnsworth was born...
in the movie The Grey Fox - Unknown children for the album Wee Sing America
- Sung by Strother MartinStrother MartinStrother Martin was an American actor in numerous films and television programs. Martin is perhaps best known as the prison "captain" in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke, where he uttered the line, "What we've got here is...failure to communicate."-Early life:Strother Martin Jr. was born in Kokomo,...
in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" - Instrumental version by Peter Ostroushko [Heart of the Heartland - 1995]