It was on a Wednesday night the moon was shining bright They robbed the Glendale train And the people they did say for many miles away Twas the outlaws Frank and Jesse James Jesse had a wife to mourn all her life Their children they are brave Twas a dirty little coward that shot Mr Howard They laid Jesse James in his grave It was Robert Ford the dirty little coward I wonder how he does feel For he ate of Jesse's bread and he slept in Jesse's bed Then he laid Jesse James in his grave Jesse had a wife to mourn all her life... It was his brother Frank that robbed the Gallatin bank And carried the money from the town It was in this very place that they had a little race For they shot Captain Sheets to the ground Jesse was a man a friend to the poor He never would see a man suffer pain And with his brother Frank he robbed the Chicago bank And stopped the Glendale train It was his brother Frank that robbed the Gallatin bank And carried the money from the town
It was in this very place that they had a little race For they shot Captain Sheets to the ground Jesse had a wife to mourn all her life... They went to the crossing not very far from there And there they did the same And the agent on his knees he delivered up the keys To the outlaws Frank and Jesse James Jesse had a wife to mourn all her life... It was on a Saturday night Jesse was at home Talking to his family brave When the thief and the coward a little Robert Ford Laid Jesse James in his grave How people held their breath when they heard of Jesse's d**h And wondered how he ever came to die Twas one of the gang dirty Robert Ford That shot poor Jesse on the sly Jesse had a wife to mourn all her life... Jesse went to rest with his hand on his breast The devill will be upon his knee He was born one day in the county of Clay And came from the solitary race Jesse had a wife to mourn all her life... They laid Jesse James in his grave