I thought my life’s pleasures

would never be done

till I entered Orleans’ great mecca

And broke the bank at “Vingt-et-un”

Told my amigos I’d be

At the “Paris of The South”

My mistake!

-Should have shut my big mouth

I threw down my dough

With a restless yawn

Very soon thereafter

All my money was gone

The Dealer was a mighty old man

Some might call him a galoot

Said, “If you need a buck, son

I’ll lead you onto some loot”

When you got nothin’ left

You take what you got

“I’ll work for anythin’

If the money’s not hot!”

“Ease your worries, son,

You’re about to join the pioneers”

Somehow his tone

Did not allay my fears

“Almost forgotten, my son,

Is the Opelousas Trail

Your job’s to take over that heard

And lead them without fail.

If it’s cash and adventure, my son

That you cherish,

Lead them cattle, boy

To Iberville Parrish”.

So I went and I did

What he told me to do

All killings were done without my aid

Heck, my cayuse didn’t lose a shoe!

Now the herd was in my hands

As the outlaws withdrew

How’ll I get them to the Blackhouse Mountains?

I hadn’t a clue

So I scolded and whooped them

In five different voices

But none o’them

Were the cattle’s choices

I yelled and I screamed

And I shot off my gun

Should never of done that

The cattle, how they did run

They ran to the peak

I just had no hope

I couldn’t save even one

With my useless rope

Over the edge

the cattle did fall

the most mournful screams

Were their final cattle call

That night by the moonlight

I turned and I tossed

Not so much for the cattle

As for the lives that were lost

Sure, the gang would get me

I just don’t care

For from now and forever

A hellish curse I would share