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Jesse James Lyrics
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 now 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
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
And he laid poor Jesse in his grave
Well now 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
It was on a Saturday night
Yeah the moon was
shinin' bright
They robbed
the Glendale train
And the people they did say
o'er many miles away
It was those outlaws yeah Frank
and Jesse James
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
And he laid poor Jesse in his grave
Now the people held
their breath
When they heard of
Jesse's death
They wondered how
he'd ever come to fall
Robert Ford it was a fact
He shot Jesse in the back
While Jesse hung a picture
on a wall
Now Jesse went to rest with
his hand 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
And he laid poor Jesse in his grave
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
That dirty little coward
I wonder now 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
To mourn for his life
Three children
Now they were brave
Well that dirty little coward
That shot Mr. Howard
And he laid poor Jesse in his grave
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
Yeah the moon was
shinin' bright
They robbed
the Glendale train
And the people they did say
o'er many miles away
It was those outlaws yeah Frank
and Jesse James
To mourn for his life
Three children
Now they were brave
Well that dirty little coward
That shot Mr. Howard
And he laid poor Jesse in his grave
their breath
When they heard of
Jesse's death
They wondered how
he'd ever come to fall
Robert Ford it was a fact
He shot Jesse in the back
While Jesse hung a picture
on a wall
his hand on his breast
The devil upon his knee
he was born one day in
the County Clay
And he came from
a solitary race
To mourn for his life
Three children
Now they were brave
Well that dirty little coward
That shot Mr. Howard
And he laid poor Jesse in his grave
Song Info
Submitted by
themactator On May 14, 2006
More Bruce Springsteen

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Born in the U.S.A.

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Nick Cave does a great version of this in the movie "the assassination of jesse james by that coward robert ford" The pogues did a version too. Bruce tinkered with the lyrics a little. Great old fashioned ballad !!