Capo 3
[Verse]
D G
Little Joe, The Wrangler, will wrangle nevermore
D A7
His days with the roundup, they are o'er
D G
Was a year ago last April, when he rode into our camp
D A7 D
Just a little Texas stray and nothin' more.
G
Was late in the ev'nin', when he rode into our camp
D A7
On a little Texas pony, he called Chaw
D G
With his brogan shoes and overalls, a tougher lookin' kid
D A7 D
You never in your life before, had saw.
[Verse]
G D
His saddle was a Texas 'kack' built many years ago
A7
An O.K. spur on one foot, lightly swung
D G
With his pack rolled in a cotton sack, so loosely tied behind
D A7 D
And a canteen from his saddle horn, was slung.
He said he had to leave his home, his (G) pa had married twice
D A7
His new ma whipped him every day or two
D G
So he saddled up old Chaw one night and "lit a shuck" this way
D A7 A7
He said he'd try to paddle his own can- oe.
G D
He'd said if we would give him work, he'd do the best he could
A7
Tho' he didn't know straight up, about a cow
D G
So the Boss, he cut him out a mount and kindly put him on
D A7 D
He sorta liked this little kid, some- how.
[Verse]
G
He learned to wrangle horses and learned to know them all
D A7
And get them in at daybreak, if he could
D G
And to trail the old chuck wagon and always hitch the team
D A7 D
And help the "cookie" ev'nin's - rustle wood.
G D
We had hardly reached the Pecos, the weather it was fine
A7
We were camped down on the south side, in a draw
D G
When a 'Norther' commenced blowin' and we doubled up our guard
D A7 D
It took ev'ryone of us, to hold them in.
[Verse]
G
Little Joe, The Wrangler, was called out with the rest
D A7
Scarcely had the little fellow reached the herd
D G
When the cattle, they stampeded, like a hail storm on, they fled
D A7 D
And ev'ryone was ridin' for the lead.
G D
A- mid the streaks of lightnin', there was one horse up ahead
A7
He was tryin' to catch the leader in their speed
D G
It was Little Joe, The Wrangler, with a slicker o'er his head
D A7 D
He was ridin' old Blue Rocket in the lead.
[Verse]
G
At last, we got them millin' and kinda quieted down
D A7
And the extra guards, back to the wagon, went
D G
But there was one a-missin', you could see it, at a glance
D A7 D
Was our little Texas stray, poor wrangler Joe.
G D
Next mornin', just at daybreak, we found where Rocket fell
A7
Down in a washout, twenty feet be- low
D G
Be- neath his horse, his life was gone, his spur had rung its knell
D A7 D
Was our little Texas stray, poor wrangler Joe.