Ernest James left the north to be a cowboy
Said he came around from Montana way
Did some time in the pines for rustling longhorns
I guess you could say he went and found the American way
Ernest James learned how to drive them cattle
From the South to the Kansas railheads
Passing time, making a dime in the saddle
Never thinking that one day it might find him dead
He had guts and he had a horse;
He was a little naïve, of course
But he could shoot his pistol pretty straight, you know
He was the rough and reckless sort, depending on your source
But he had guts and he had a horse
Ernest James left the north to be a good guy
He never intended to do his mama wrong
He got caught up in the muck, trying to make a buck
And ended up on the wrong side of the law
He had guts and he had a horse;
He was a little naïve, of course
But he could shoot his pistol pretty straight, you know
He was the rough and reckless sort, depending on your source
But he had guts and he had a horse