I couldn’t find a recording of “Peg-Leg Bandit” but I did find this, on YouTube. Also, an mp3 file can be found here along with several other Smiley Burnette songs.


PEG LEG JACK
As recorded by Smiley Burnette, 1934.

Peg-Leg Jack went out one night to get a drink of gin.
He went down to the landlord’s house; the landlord wasn’t in.
He rapped, he rapped, he rapped and he rapped; he rapped all night in vain,
When all of sudden * * * upon the windowpane.

Up to the window he turned his head and there a maid he spied.
He could tell by the way that she * * * * that she would be his bride.
“Come on down,” cried Peg-Leg Jack, “and set on the porch with me,”
And down she came and she set on the porch as pretty as ever you’d see.

Oh, they billed and they cooed, kissed and they loved,
Hugged and squeezed and turtle-doved.
They honeyed and sweetied and “baby, my pet.”
Why they almost melted the concrete step.

But then of a sudden here come her pappy a-drivin’ the village hack.
With a roar and a beller and “Hey, young feller!” he started for Peg-Leg Jack.
Well, Jack lit out with a yip and a shout, for life to him was sweet,
And Jack’s peg leg went * * * * upon the village street.

“Goodbye, my lover,” the maiden cried; “I hope you don’t get killed.”
The old man grabbed his pistol out and with powder and bullets filled.
Jack bumped into a big fat lady; he fell in a puddle, kersplash!
And the old man’s pistol went * * * * as down the road they dashed.

Oh, they raced and they chased, they galloped and they crawled,
They bawled and they hollered and they hollered and they bawled.
They tooled(?) and shockered(?) and they hopped up and down,
Back and forth and around and round.

Well, Jack clumb up into a tree and he thought he’d save his skin,
But the woodpeckers pecked on his old peg leg and they driv him down again.
They ran into the neighbor’s barn; the old man follered him in.
A mule got sore and whaled away and he kicked him out again.

Peg-Leg Jack he run kersmack! into the constabule,
Who joined the chase with the gal’s old man, the fat lady and the mule.
They chased that sailor round and round, around a big haystack.
The old man ran around the other way and he grabbed poor sailor Jack.

Oh, they wrestled and they tussled; their eyes got black.
Jack hit her pappy and her pappy hit back.
They teetered and they tumbled and they cussed and they swore.
They barked their knuckles and their clothes they tore.

The old mule cried and the fat lady screamed; the constable let out a yell.
He took that old man by the collar and he locked him in a cell.
Peg-Leg Jack he hurried back the maiden fair to wed,
But found that she had gone and married a soldier boy instead.

Oh, poor Jack cried; he bellered ‘n’ he swore.
He grabbed him a ship and sailed from the shore.
He sailed away as fast as sin,
And that was the last that we heard of him.

* = thump on body of guitar.