Chorus
Jesse had a wife to mourn him all her life,
The children they were brave.
But the dirty little coward that shot Mister Howard,
He laid poor Jesse in his grave.

It was on a Wednesday night, the moon was shining bright,
They robbed the Danville train.
And the people they did say, for many miles away,
'Twas the outlaws Frank and Jesse James.

Jesse was a man was a friend to the poor,
He never left a friend in pain.
And with his brother Frank he robbed the Chicago bank
And then held up the Glendale train.

It was Robert Ford, the dirty little coward,
I wonder how he does feel,
For he ate of Jesse's bread and he slept in Jesse's bed,
Then he laid Jesse James in his grave.

It was his brother Frank that robbed the Gallatin bank,
And carried the money from the town.
It was in this very place that they had a little race,
For they shot Captain Sheets to the ground.

They went to the crossing not very far from there,
And there they did the same;
And the agent on his knees he delivered up the keys
To the outlaws Frank and Jesse James.

It was on a Saturday night, Jesse was at home
Talking to his family brave,
When the thief and the coward, little Robert Ford,
Laid Jesse James in his grave.

How people held their breath when they heard of Jesse's death,
And wondered how he ever came to die.
'Twas one of the gang, dirty Robert Ford,
That shot Jesse James on the sly.