The rosy colored cheeks are a nice touch to the otherwise serious portrait of the baby-faced outlaw.
I knew there was a song about Jesse James. I had no idea it has been recorded by so many famous musicians and like his films has achieved cult status. The song was first recorded by Benton Ball in 1919. It's been awarded one of the top 100 Western songs of all time.
Performances include Woody Guthrie, Bob Seger, Pete Seeger, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, The Kingston Trio (this one is funny) and the Celtic punk band, The Pogues. Click on each to hear the various renditions.
Composer Dallin B. Peacock is creating an original sound composition inspired by the original ballad.
Jesse James was a lad that killed 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 how he feels,
For he ate of Jesse's bread and he slept in Jesse's bed,
And he laid poor Jesse in his grave.
(chorus)
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.
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 poor Jesse down.
Jesse was a man, a friend to the poor,
He'd never see a man suffer pain,
And with his brother Frank he robbed the Chicago bank,
And stopped the Glendale train.
It was on a Saturday night and the moon was shining bright,
They robbed the Glendale train,
And people they did say o'er many miles away
It was those outlaws, they're Frank and Jesse James
(chorus)
Now the people held their breath when they heard of Jesse's death,
And wondered how he ever came to fall
Robert Ford, it was a fact, he shot Jesse in the4 back
While Jesse hung a picture on the wall.
Now Jesse went to rest with his hand on his breast,
The devil will be upon his knee.
He was born one day in the County Clay,
And he came from a solitary race.
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 how he feels,
For he ate of Jesse's bread and he slept in Jesse's bed,
And he laid poor Jesse in his grave.
(chorus)
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.
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 poor Jesse down.
Jesse was a man, a friend to the poor,
He'd never see a man suffer pain,
And with his brother Frank he robbed the Chicago bank,
And stopped the Glendale train.
It was on a Saturday night and the moon was shining bright,
They robbed the Glendale train,
And people they did say o'er many miles away
It was those outlaws, they're Frank and Jesse James
(chorus)
Now the people held their breath when they heard of Jesse's death,
And wondered how he ever came to fall
Robert Ford, it was a fact, he shot Jesse in the4 back
While Jesse hung a picture on the wall.
Now Jesse went to rest with his hand on his breast,
The devil will be upon his knee.
He was born one day in the County Clay,
And he came from a solitary race.
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| the blue eyes give him a creepy supernatural look |
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