Ballads for Our Imperfectly Flawed Folk Hero on His Birthday: Jesse James
From a respected family, to outlaw and folk hero, the path unexpected
This date, September 5, marks the birthday of perhaps Missouri's most infamous son. Jesse Woodson James, born in 1847, to a Baptist minister and his wife. Much would happen to bring him infamy. To be fair, the circumstances that led Jesse down a path toward his fame and death were not isolated in war-torn Missouri. But it was Jesse for whom the folk ballads were sung. No one knows the author of the ballad "Jesse James"; it has passed into our collective repertoire from a long-forgotten hand. Below are the lyrics, recorded on vinyl first in 1919, and by many over the years, more recently by Bruce Springsteen and others. It continues to resonate as we acknowledge our folk heroes are often complex and flawed, far from perfect. But perhaps that is indeed why we identify with them--a reflection of our own flaws, as we quietly tell ourselves, but for the grace of God, luck or happenstance, we have avoided the violent or tragic refrain in the song.
Another modern ballad is "Frank and Jesse James", by Warren Zevon. Therein is a line, that has always rung true to the ears of this life-long Missourian:
"But the poor Missouri farmers knew
Frank and Jesse did the best they could"
And just maybe it is the fact that those of us who come from the same places as the James brothers, with those times seared into the collective unconscious, instinctively recognize there is truth in that line that makes sense only because of the series of circumstances that set Jesse on a path that no one envisioned on September 5, 1847.
Below are the lyrics to the ballad "Jesse James" as recorded by Pete Seeger. Also, below are the lyrics to Zevon's Frank and Jesse James.
Sources: lyrics.com; OverviewLyricsListen. Photos from our personal collection. Left. Jesse James as a young guerilla fighter in the Civil War. Right. Frank and Jesse James.
Jesse James as recorded by Pete Seeger.
Jesse James was a lad that killed many a man
He robbed the Danville train
He stole from the rich and he gave to the poor
He'd a hand, a heart, and a brain
Jesse was a man, a friend to the poor
He couldn't see a brother suffer pain
And with his brother Frank he robbed the Springfield bank
And he stopped the Glendale train
Poor Jesse had a wife, a lady all her life
And three children, they were so brave
But that dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard
Has laid ol' Jesse James in his grave
It was Robert Ford, the dirty little coward
And I wonder how he feels
For he slept in Jesse's bed and he ate o' Jesse's bread
But he laid Jesse James in his grave
It was with his brother Frank that he robbed the Gallatin Bank
An' carried the money from the town
It was at that very place that they had a little chase
For they shot ol' Captain Sheets to the ground
Poor Jesse had a wife to morn for his life
And three children, they were so brave
But that dirty lettle coward that shot Mr. Howard
Has laid ol' Jesse James in his grave
They went to a crossing, not very far from there
And there they did the same
For the agent on his knees delivered up the keys
To the outlaws, Frank an' Jesse James
It was on a Wednesday night, not a star was in sight
When they robbed the Glendale train
Those people, they did say for many miles away
It was robbed by Frank an' Jesse James
Poor Jesse had a wife to mourn for his life
And three children, they were so brave
But that dirty lettle coward that shot Mr. Howard
Has laid ol' Jesse James in his grave
Then on a Saturday night, Jesse was at home
Just talking with his family brave
When Robert Ford came along like a thief in the night
And laid poor Jesse in his grave
Now, the people held their breath when they heard of Jesse's death
They wondered how he came to die
It was one of his own gang called little Robert Ford
An' he shot Jesse James on the sly
Poor Jesse had a wife who mourned for his life
And three children, they were so brave
But that dirty lettle coward that shot Mr. Howard
Has laid ol' Jesse James in his grave
Jesse went to his rest with his hand upon his breast
And there are many who never saw his face
He was born one day in the County of Clay
And he came from a solitary race
This song was made by Billy Gashade
As soon as the news did arrive
He said there's no one man with the law in his hand
Could ever take ol' Jesse James alive
Poor Jesse had a wife to mourn his life
An' his children too, they were brave
But that dirty little coward shot Mr. Howard
An' laid Jesse James in his grave
Oh, they laid poor Jesse in his grave, yes, Lord
They laid Jesse James in his grave
Oh, he took from the rich and he gave to the poor
But, they laid Jesse James in his grave.
******
Frank and Jesse James
Song by Warren Zevon
On a small Missouri farm
Back when the west was young
Two boys learned to rope and ride
And be handy with a gun
War broke out between the states
And they joined up with Quantrill
And it was over in Clay county
That Frank and Jesse finally learned to ki|l
Keep on riding, riding, riding
Frank and Jesse James
Keep on riding, riding, riding
'Til you clear your names
Keep on riding, riding, riding
Across the rivers and the range
Keep on riding, riding, riding Frank and Jesse James
After Appomattox they were on the losing side
So no amnesty was granted
And as outlaws they did ride
They rode against the railroads,
And they rode against the banks
And they rode against the governor
Never did they ask for a word of thanks
Keep on riding, riding, riding
Frank and Jesse James
Keep on riding, riding, riding
'Til you clear your names
Keep on riding, riding, riding
Across the prairies and the plains
Keep on riding, riding, riding
Frank and Jesse James
Robert Ford, a gunman
Did exchange for his parole
Took the life of James the outlaw
Which he snuck up on and stole
No one knows just where they came to be misunderstood
But the poor Missouri farmers knew
Frank and Jesse do the best they could
Keep on riding, riding, riding
Frank and Jesse James
Keep on riding, riding, riding
'Til you clear your names
Keep on riding, riding, riding
Across the rivers and the range
Keep on riding, riding, riding
Frank and Jesse James
*For more Dark Ozarks, listen to the Dark Ozarks Podcast on Spotify, Apple and most Podcast apps.
© Dark Ozarks, 2021, 2024 | All Rights Reserved.
#darkozarks #ozarksnoir #noir #noeasyanswers #mysteries #creepy #folklore #history #ozarks #moretocome #legend #ballad #JesseJames #theozarks #Ozarks #theozarks #moretocome #folklore #storytelling #podcast