It's 30 years since I've listened to my source for singing this, McCurdy, on The Folk Singer, Seeck - LP, 1957 (no texts). I've sung "Perpeside and many hair tonics" but every current web text or other hearing of I've had gives approximately "Red, green, many color hair tonics."

I finally have in front of me Singing Rawhide; a book of western ballads, by Harold Hersey (with illustrations by Jerry Delano). Copyright 1923-1926 Ace-High Magazine, etc. Edition copyright (&, I assume printed) 1926. In the illustration, the lavender cowboy stands with his back to the saloon bar, his two guns drawn cross-chest but not threatening. The look on his face is hard to see but I'd say 'whimsical.' He is emulating a painting behind the bar of "Wild Bill Hickup In Action" [sic], his guns similarly cross chest but having shot at least three individuals with each.

Hersey was a well-known character & intellectual of the era with many publications, some relating to sex and some to cowboys & some hard comment.

The four verses as printed on p. 13 - (not so different from those above) No tune indicated. Scansion would be slightly pushed to fit the usual tune.

       The Lavender Cowboy

He was only a lavender cowboy,
The hairs on his chest were two....
He wished to follow the heroes
Who fight as the he-men do.

Yet he was inwardly troubled
By a dream that gave no rest;
When he read of heroes in action,
He wanted more hair on his chest.

Herpiside, many hair tonics
Were rubbed in morning and night....
Still, when he looked in the mirror
No new hair grew in sight.

He battled for "Red Nell's" honor
Then cleaned out a hold-up nest,
And died with his six-guns smoking....
But only two hairs on his chest.


"Newbro's Herpicide Will Do It
No woman should have poor, thin,
scraggy hair, and no man need become
bald. Poor hair and final baldness are
due to the dandruff germ.
Newbro's Herpicide will destroy this
little germ and stop the hair from
falling."

See http://www.hairraisingstories.com/Products/NEWBRO.html

Sadly, Herpicide is long off the market but you can easily buy a product today with the same claims. Just drift on over to http://www.restorationhair.com/rhdev/RF4/ for a '100% guaranteed' product making the identical claims. Oddly, I can't find any actual product name on the website. But I'm sure it will work and not only regrow your hair but make you a hero.