Happy! - Sept 5 (Jesse James)

Subject: Happy! - Sept 5 (Jesse James)
From: Abby Sale
Date: 05 Sep 05 - 10:42 AM


Happy Birthday!

Jesse James born 9/5/1847

          I don't know where my poor old Jesse's gone
          He stole from the rich and he gave to the poor
          But I'll never see my Jesse any more.
  
                  "Jesse James," recorded by the Chad Mitchell Trio
                  [thanx Bev Herzog]

Shot by Robert Ford April 3, 1882

          It was Robert Ford, that dirty little coward;
          I wonder how he does feel
          For he ate of Jesse's bread and he slept in Jesse's bed
          Then laid poor Jesse in his grave.
  
                  "Jesse James," recorded by very many and often printed
                  but first known printing was 1906.  It claims that 
                  'This song was made by Billy Gashade.'  Maybe so.

Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved
What are Happy's all about? See Clicky

Subject: RE: Happy! - Sept 5 (Jesse James)
From: Coyote Breath
Date: 06 Sep 05 - 01:44 AM

Maybe it was originally Billy Gasconade? Means braggart. Billy 'Liar'.
There is a local story that the Jesse James song was written here in Franklijn county, Missouri. We here in Franklin county once claimed the Gasconade river as ours until the state legislature made Franklin county smaller by slicing off our western border, calling the truncated result Gasconade county. Franklin county was the largest county in Missouri until then. Franklin was also a 'seccessh' stronghold except for the town of Hermann whose German population was staunchly pro-union "I go to fight mit Segal" Hermann became Gasconade county's county seat. Owensville, Gasconade, Rosebud and Hermann are the principal towns in what is one of Missouri's poorest counties but also a center for Missouri wineries with some excellent, award winning wines available.

Oddly enough, hardly anyone here sings the venerable 'Jesse James' anymore, though 'black flaggers' and 'bushwackers' would find support and sympathy even today. Some here STILL don't like Kansas.

CB