Jesse James was a lad That k**ed many a man He robbed the Glendale train He stole from the rich And he gave to the poor He'd a hand and a heart and a brain Well it was Robert Ford That dirty little coward I wonder now how he feels For he ate of Jesse's bread And he slept on Jesse's bed And he laid poor Jesse in his grave Well Jesse had a wife To mourn for his life Three children now They were brave Well that dirty little coward That shot Mr. Howard He laid poor Jesse in his grave Well Jesse was a man A friend to the poor He'd never rob a mother or a child There never was a man with The law in his hand That could take Jesse James when alive Well Jesse had a wife To mourn for his life Three children now They were brave Well that dirty little coward That shot Mr. Howard He laid poor Jesse in his grave It was on a Saturday night When the moon was shining bright They robbed the Glendale train And people they did say O'er many miles away It was those outlaws Frank and Jesse James Well Jesse had a wife To mourn for his life Three children now They were brave But that dirty little coward That shot Mr. Howard He laid poor Jesse in his grave Now the people held their breath When they heard of Jesse's d**h They wondered how he'd ever Come to fall Robert Ford it's a fact He shot Jesse in the back While Jesse hung a picture on the wall Jesse went to rest With his head on his breast The devil upon his knee He was born one day In the County Clay And he came from a Solitary race Well Jesse had a wife To mourn for his life Three children now They were brave Well that dirty little coward That shot Mr. Howard He laid poor Jesse in his grave