Have you heard tell of sweet Betsy from Pike She cross the wide prairie with her lover, Ike With two yoke of Oxen, a big yellow dog A tall Shanghai rooster and one spotted hog One evening quite early they camped on the Platte 'Twas nearby the road on a green, shady flat Betsy, sore-footed, lay down to repose In wonder Ike gazed on his Pike County rose The Indians came down in a wild yelling horde And Betsy got scared they would scalp her adored Under the wagon wheel Betsy did crawl She fought off them Indians with musket and ball Out on the prairie one bright starry night They broke out the whiskey and Betsy got tight She sang and she shouted, she danced on the plain
She made a great show for that whole wagon train The Shanghai ran off and the cattle all died The last piece of bacon that morning was fried Ike got discouraged and Betsy got made The dog wagged his tail and looked wondrously sad They soon reached the desert where Betsy gave out And down in the sand she lay rolling about Ike in great terror 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 Declared she'd go back to Pike County again Ike, he just sighed, and they fondly embraced And she traveled along with her arm round his waist