Back in
the 1800s,
there were an awful lot
of longhorn cows in Texas
and an awful lot of people back east
with a taste for beef.
The trouble was that the
cows and the people
were nearly 2 ,000 miles apart,
and the closest railroads
were way up in Kansas,
nearly 1 ,000 miles north of south Texas,
so there was no way to get the
cattle to market.
Well, a rancher named Chisholm
had himself a dandy idea.
If they couldn't bring the railroad to the cattle,
why not bring the cattle to the railroad?
So he put a herd together,
hired a crew of young cowboys,
and drove them north to the rail
head in Abilene, Kansas.
Now, a lot of cowboys
drove a lot of herds from Texas to Kansas
on that very same route,
but it was always known as
the Old Chisholm Trail.
Oh, come along, boys, and listen to my tale
Tell you about my troubles
on the old Chisholm Trail
Come a -tie -ie -yippie -yippie
-yay -yippie -yay
Come a -tie -ie -yippie -yippie -yay
On a ten -dollar horse and a
forty -dollar saddle
Ridin' and a -punchin'
them Texas cattle
Come a -tie -ie -yippie -yippie
-yay -yippie -yay
Come a -tie -ie -yippie -yippie -yay
We left Old Texas October 23rd
driving up the trail with the
two you heard
Come a -tie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie
-ie -ie -ie -ie
Come a -tie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie
-ie -ie -ie
Sometimes things got real tough
out on the old Chism Trail
The cowboys faced dust,
mud, rustlers,
stampedes
and bad weather
They had to swim the cattle across rivers
and drive them through the desert
sometimes going for days and days
without seeing a single
drop of water.
Sometimes they'd get way
behind schedule
and have to drive them hungry
cattle all night long.
There's mud in the gully
and dust in the draw,
the boss man's meaner
than my mother -in -law.
Got a hole in my hat where the rain runs in,
a hole in my boot where it
runs out again.
Well, the water's gettin' scarce
and they're runnin' out of life
It looks like we're gonna have
to drive them all night
Come a -tie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie
Come a -tie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie
Spent two days lookin'
for a mule -headed cat
I ain't been to sleep in a
week and a half
Come a -tie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie
Come a -tie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie -ie
I woke up one morning
on the old Chisholm trail
With a rope in my hand
and a cow by the tail
Come a tie a yippie yippie yay,
yippie yay
Come a tie a yippie yippie yay
Sometimes that old trail boss
could get downright testy
And you sure got tired of eatin'
the same thing day in and day out
It was enough to make a feller
think about givin' up cowboyin'
Well, it's bacon and beans
most every day
I'd soon be eatin' that prairie hay
Come a -tie ya, yippee -yippee -yay,
yippee -yay
Come a -tie ya, yippee -yippee -yay
Well, the days are hot, the nights are cold
This cowboy life's gettin' mighty old
Come a -tie -a -yippie -yippie -yay
-yippie -yay
Come a -tie -a -yippie -yippie -yay
I reckon I'm as crazy as a Caterpillar pup
I tried and I tried, but I can't give it up
Come a -tie -a -yippie -yippie -yay
-yippie -yay
Come a -tie -a -yippie -yippie -yay
Well, I went to the boss to draw my roll
He figured me out nine
dollars in the hole
Come a -tie -ie -yippy -yippy -ay,
yippi -ay
Come a -tie -ie -yippy -yippy -ay
Well they ain't no leavin',
I guess I'm gonna stay
Punchin' them cattles
for the rest of my days
Come a -tie -ie -yippy -yippy -ay,
yippy -ay
Come a -tie -ie -yippy -yippy -ay
Come a -tie -ie -yippy -yippy -ay,
yippy -ay
Come a -tie -ie -yippy -yippy -ay
I, I, yeah I'm