From St. Charles, Missouri in 1849 Stella Ireland packed up all her gear And joined the wagon line. She hauled for California, And then to settle down, She opened a fandango house In Rough-and-Ready town.
Now Stella had the finest drinks, Her game was 21; And miners came from miles around To join in Stella's fun. She brought in fancy fixin's From all the seven seas. And throughout the land her motto ran, "We shore do aim to please."
Now Stella had a great big heart For all around the town. But no single man could win her love Or hope to tie her down She vowed no man was worth her love--- All she wanted was their gold. So poor Stella had her virtue, But her sheets were always cold.
Succeeding verses tell the story of Juan and his gold and how it all... worked out in the end. As usual, Debby's song is a masterful combination of tune and story, with internal rhymes popping to keep it going through its long number of verses.