Sweet Betsy from Pike - Iggy Pop

Do you remember sweet Betsy from Pike?

She crossed the wide prairies with her lover Ike

With two yoke of cattle and one spottled hog

And a tall Shanghai rooster and an old yellow dog

They soon reached the desert where Betsy gave out

And down in the sand she lay rolling about

Ike half distracted looked on in surprise

Saying, «Betsy, get up, you’ll get sand in your eyes»

Sweet Betsy got up in a great dal of pain

She declared sh’d go back to Pike County again

But Ihe, he just sighed then they fondly embraced

So he traveled along with his arm 'round her waist

They swam the wide rivers and climbed the tall peaks

They camped upon prairies for weeks upon weeks

Starvation and cholera, hard work and slaughter

They reached California 'spite of hell and high water

Then a miner said, «Betsy, will you dance with me?»

She answers, «I will if you want make two free

I can’t dance too hard, do you want to know why?

Because I’m so full of that strong alkali»

This Pike County couple got married, of course

But Ike became jealous, obtained a divorce

And Betsy, well-satisfied, said with a shout

«Goodbye, you big lummox, I’m glad you backed out!»