Jesse James

JESSE JAMES
19th C. Folk ballad from Missouri
Eddy Arnold, U2, Van Morrison
Key: G

7   -7  -8   -8 -7  7   7    6     6  6 7  -5
Jes-se James was a lad who killed man-y a man, 
7    -7  -8     7   -9  -9-8  -7
Once he robbed the Glen-dale train, 
7   -7    -8    -8   -7   7    
He would steel from the rich 
7   -6*   6    6  7   -5
he would give to the poor, 
7   -7 -8   -8 7  -7   -8 -7   7
Had a hand and a heart and a brain. 

(chorus) 

7     7  8   8  -9  8  7-7  -8  -8  -7*  -8
Poor Jes-se had a wife to mourn for his life
-5     7    -8    -9   -8   -7   
Three chil-dren, they were brave 
7    -7  -8  8  -8 -7   7   7
But the dirt-y lit-tle cow-ard 
-6*  7   -7  7   6  -5
who shot Jim-my How-ard     
7    -8   -8   7  -7 -7  7    7
Has laid poor Jes-se in his grave 


Well it was Robert Ford, that dirty little coward, 
I wonder how he feel, 
For he ate of Jesse's bread and he slept in Jesse's bed, 
And he laid poor Jesse in his grave. 

(chorus) 

Jesse was a man, a friend to the poor, 
He'd never rob a mother or a child 
There never was a man with the law in his hand 
That could take Jesse James alive 
It was on a Saturday night and the moon was shining bright, 
They robbed the Glendale train, 
And people they did say o'er many miles away 
It was those outlaws, they're Frank and Jesse James 

(chorus) 

Now the people held their breath when they heard of Jesse's death, 
And wondered how he ever came to fall 
Robert Ford, it was a fact, he shot Jesse in the back 
While Jesse hung a picture on the wall 
Now Jesse went to rest with his hand on his breast, 
The devil will be upon his knee. 
He was born one day in the County Clay, 
And he came from a solitary race. 

(chorus)