I'm Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows - Alan Lomax

I’m bound to follow the longhorn cows until I get too old

It’s well I work for wages, boys, and get my pay in gold

My bosses they all like me well;

they say I’m hard to beat

Because I give 'em the bum stand-off, they know I’ve got the cheek

Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay, Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay

Now I’m a Texas cowboy, just off the stormy plains

My trade is girtin' saddles and pullin' bridle reins

Oh, I can tip the lasso;

it is with graceful ease

I can rope a streak of lightnin' and ride 'er where I please

Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay, Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay

Now if I had me a little stake, I soon would married be

But another week and I must go;

the boss said so today

My girl must cheer up courage and choose some other one

For I’m bound to follow the Lone Star Trail until my race is won

Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay, Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay

It’s when we’re on the trail where the dust and the billows fly

It’s fifty miles from water and the grass is scorchin' dry;

The boss gets mad and ringy as you can plainly see

And I want to leave the trail, my boys, and an honest farmer be

Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay, Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay

And when we get them bedded, boys, we think it’s for the night

Some horse will shake his saddle and give that herd a fright

They’ll rise up to their feet, my boys, and madly dash away

Then it’s movin' time;

«To the lead, my boys,» you’ll hear some cowboy say

Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay, Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay

And when we get them rounded up and quietened down again

A dark cloud will rise in the west, and fire will play on their horns

The boss will say, «Stay with 'em, boys;

your pay will be in gold.»

I’m bound to follow the longhorn steer until I get too old

Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay, Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay

When I get in Kansas, I had a pleasant dream

I dreamt I’s down on the Trinity, down by that pleasant stream

My true love right beside me, she’d come to go my bail

But I woke up broken-hearted with a yearling by the tail

Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay, Ki-yi-yippee, yippee-yay