Sweet Betsy from Pike - Many, Many Artists - Pike County, MO
Posted by: YoSam.
N 39° 20.526 W 091° 11.664
15S E 655599 N 4356295
"Many Pike Countians joined the 1849 Gold Rush, and the ballads "Joe Bowers" and "Sweet Betsy from Pike" are associated with this county." ~ State Historical Society of Missouri
Waymark Code: WM11H3W
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 10/24/2019
Views: 2
County of county: Pike County
Location of courthouse: W. Main St., Court St., & W. Main Cross St., Bowling Green
Phone: (573) 324-5582
Organized: Dec. 14, 1818
Named after: Zebulon Pike, commander of expedition up Mississippi River in 1818
County seat: Bowling Green
Sweet Betsy From Pike
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 spotted 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"
Wikipedia article attributing it to Pike County, Missouri...as does a lot of historic sites.