Jesse James was a lad,
he killed many a man,
he robbed the Glendale train;
he took from the rich and he gave to the poor,
he'd a hand and a heart and a brain.

Refrain:
Oh Jesse had a wife
to mourn for his life,
three children, they were brave;
but that dirty little coward that shot Mister Howard
has laid poor Jesse in his grave.


It was on Wednesday night,
the moon was shining bright,
they robbed the Glendale train.
The people they did say for many miles away,
it was robbed by Frank and Jesse James.


It was on Saturday night,
Jesse was at home,
talking to his family brave,
Robert Ford came along like a thief in the night
and laid poor Jesse in his grave.


All the people held their breath,
when they heard of Jesses's death,
and wondered how he ever came to die.
It was one of his own gang, called little Robert Ford,
he shot poor Jesse on the sly.


Oh, Jesse was a man,
a friend of the poor
he'd never rob a mother or a child;
he took from the rich and he gave to the poor
so they shot Jesse James on the sly.


This song was made by Billy Gashade,
as soon as the news did arrive;
he said there was no man with the law in his hand,
who could take Jesse James when alive.

Und der Glendale-Express, der stoppte im Wald

Der Chef kennt kein "Pardon",

Jesse James schoß ein Loch allen Snobs in den Bauch

Und im Westen kennt jeder dern Song:

Wer fragt nach Jesse James, sein Weib blieb allein,

drei Kinder er vergaß.

Es war Samstag als der Schuft kam

und Jessy James aufs Korn nahm

und Jesse, der Chef, biß ins Gras.

Für die Armen im Dreck brach Jessy die Bank

Chigago - nachts um vier!

Trug das Geld aus der Stadt,

denn er sah es auch hier:

dieses Elend im Armenquartier.

Robby Ford hieß der Hund, der Feigste der Gang,

die Zeitung schrie es aus.

Wie ein Dieb in der Nacht, tat er's schnöde für Geld

denn er wusste den Jessy zu Haus.

Jesse Woodson James (* 5. September 1847 in Centerville, heute Kearney, im Clay County, Missouri; † 3. April 1882 in Saint Joseph, Missouri) war ein US-amerikanischer Bandit und das bekannteste Mitglied der James-Younger-Bande. Nach seinem Tod wurde Jesse James eine legendäre Figur des Wilden Westens.