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
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