Curly Joe, with lyrics nearly matching those in Fife, was recorded by Marc Williams, "The Cowboy Crooner" in Dallas on 31 Oct. 1929, according to Tony Russell's "Country Music Records;" matrix: DAL-6743-A, and released on Brunswick 544, Panachord 25589.

Russell also notes Charles Baker as The Wyoming Cowboy recorded it on 15 Aug 1932 at Richmond, Indiana; matrix: 19448, and released on Champion 16737 and 45044; Melotone (Canadian) 45044, Minerva M-14044.

Williams' version is on Jasmine Records JASMCD 3534. Liner notes ascribe it to Rogers and Spencer (no first names).

Lyrics of that recording (to my ear) are:

'Bout a mile below Blue Canyon, on a lonely pinyon trail,
Near the little town of Santos, nestled in a quiet vale,
Is the grave of a young cowboy, whose name is now unknown,
Save by a few frontiersmen who call the place their own.

He was as fine a rider as ever forked a steed.
He was brave and kind and gen'rous, never did a dirty deed.
Curly Joe's the name he went by; 'twas enough; none cared to know
If he ever had another, so they called him Curly Joe.

'Bout a mile from Santos village lived an ex-grandee of fame
And his daughter Bonnie Enza, called the white rose of the plains.
Curly loved this high-born lassie, since a time long, long ago,
When he found her on the mountain, lost and blinded by the snow.

But coquettish was fair Enza; 'tis a woman's foolish trait
That has blasted many a manhood, like the harsh decrees of fate.
When he pressed in earnest language, not flowery but sincere,
For an answer to his question, she smiled and shed a tear.

Then she answered, "Really, Joe boy, quite wearisome you grow.
Your sister, sir, forever, but your wife, no, never, Joe."
Not another word was spoken; in a week poor Joe was dead,
Killed by a buckin' bronco, or at least that's what they said.

For many a year the tombstone that marked this cowboy's grave
In quaint and curious language, this prophetic warning gave:
"Never hope to win the daughter of the man who owns the brand,
For I tried it and changed ranges to a new and better land."


The tune is in 4/4, and each couplet follows a I-IV-V progression. Interestingly, the guitar prelude does two bars of I-vi-ii-V
The tune Williams sets it to is binary form. The song Pat Brady performs, "Curly Joe from Idaho," is a later construction, with a number of modernist passing chords (it is the Farr brothers, after all), and the story is akin to a Pecos Bill characterization.