LAVENDER COWBOY
(Harold Hersey / Arr. Paddy Roberts)
Paddy Roberts - 1959
Yippee-i, yippee-oh
Yippee-i, yippee-oh, yippee-ay
Which sounds rather silly, but ev'ry hillbilly
Spends half his life singing that way
He was just a lavender cowboy
With only three hairs on his chest
And he rode on a filly called Daffydowndilly
The prettiest horse in the West
Ev'ry morning they went out together
While the others looked on in dismay
'Cause he'd round up the cattle a-ridin' side-saddle
Because he preferred it that way
He was just a lavender cowboy
Who committed a terrible sin
He went out on a bender and slugged a bartender
And stole all the strawberry gin
So the posse was sent out to find him
And bring him back dead or alive
And they knew as they went they were hot on the scent
By the smell of Chanel No.5
And they found him a-lyin' unconcious
With blood running all down his chin
Till they looked a bit closer and what do you know, sir
They found it was strawberry gin
So, they shot the lavender cowboy
And said as they layed him to rest
You'll be happier now, boy, you can't be a cowboy
With only three hairs on your chest
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - April 2006)
(Contributed by EUROPEAN OLDIES LYRICS - April 2006)
*****
LAVENDER COWBOY
(Harold Hersey - 1923)
Al St. John (feat. in the film "Oklahoma Cyclone") - 1930
Vernon Dalhart - 1938
Bob Skyles & His Skyrockets - 1939
Johnny Boyle - 1949
Burl Ives - 1950
Alan Arkin - 1954
Katie Lee - 1957
Ed McCurdy - 1958
Cisco Houston - 1960
Peter LaFarge - 1964
Alfred Crosby - 1967
Kendall Morse - 1976
He was only a lavender cowboy
The hairs on his chest were two
But he wished to follow the heroes
And fight like the he-men do
But he was inwardly troubled
By a dream that gave him no rest
That he'd go with his heroes in action
With only two hairs on his chest
First he tried many a hair tonic
'Twas rubbed in on him each night
But still when he looked in the mirror
Those two hairs were ever in sight
But with a spirit undaunted
He wandered out to fight
Just like an old-time knight errant
To win combat for the right
He battled for Red Nellie's honour
And cleaned out a hold-up's nest
He died with his six guns a-smokin'
With only two hairs on his chest
*****
