Sweet Betsy From Pike

Did you ever hear tell of sweet Betsy from Pike,
Who crossed the wide prairie with old Uncle Ike,
With two yoke of cattle and one spotted hog,
A tall Shanghai rooster and a large yellow dog.

Chorus

Singin' toora-li, loora-li, loora-li, ay [Repeat.]

One evening quite early they camped on the Platte,
'Twas near by the road on a green shady flat,
Where Betsy sore-footed lay down to repose,
There was no sounder sleeper than that Pike County rose.

They soon reached the desert, where Betsy gave out,
And down in the sand she lay rolling about;
But she got up again with a great deal of pain,
And declared she'd go back to Pike County again.

The Shanghai ran off and their cattle all died,
That morning the last piece of bacon was fried;
Poor Ike was discouraged and Betsy got mad,
The dog drooped his tail and looked wondrously sad.

They finally stopped on a very high hill,
And with wonder looked down upon old Placerville;
Ike sighed when he said as he looked all around
"Well, Betsy, my sweet, we might as well go down.

Old Ike and sweet Betsy attended a dance;
Ike wore a pair of his Pike County pants;
Sweet Betsy was covered with ribbons and rings;
Says Ike, "You're an angel, but where are your wings?"

A miner asked, "Betsy, will you dance with me?"
"I will that, old hoss, if you don't make too free;
"But don't dance me hard, do you want to know why?
Dog on, but I'm chock full of strong alkali."