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Jesse James (WORD)
Jesse James (PDF)
YOU CAN PLAY IN THE SAME KEY AS THE 1ST VIDEO BY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, but we'll do it at a slightly more relaxed pace! I mostly used Springsteen's lyrics which were similar to the original 1919 recording and Pete Seeger's recording.
Bentley Ball was the first to record the American folk song "Jesse James", the record being released in September 1919. The song is based around the death of the famous outlaw who was killed on 3 April 1882. The lyrics are largely biographical containing a number of details from Jesse James' life, portraying him as an American version of Robin Hood, though there is no evidence to indicate that he actually "stole from the rich and gave to the poor". The song refers to Mr. Thomas Howard, the alias under which James was living in Saint Joseph, Missouri, at the time of his killing. The song also refers to Robert Ford, the gang member who shot James' dead, shooting him in the back as he stood on a chair to clean a dusty picture. Ford and his brother Charles claimed the $10,000 bounty which had been placed on James's head by Governor Thomas T. Crittenden, but in a single day the brothers were arrested by the authorities for first degree murder. They pleaded guilty and were sentenced to death by hanging but two hours later were granted a full pardon by Governor Crittenden.
"Jesse James" was subsequently recorded by many others, including Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Vernon Dalhart, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, The Kingston Trio, The Pogues, The Ramblin' Riversiders, The Country Gentlemen, Willy DeVille, Van Morrison, Bob Seger, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sons of the Pioneers, Johnny Cash, and Bruce Springsteen. The composer of the song is unknown, but it is attributed in the lyrics of some versions to a to "Billy Gashade" or ""Billy LaShade", though no historical record exists for anyone under either name. It is the most famous song about James. Bruce Springsteen recorded the song with The Seeger Sessions Band during the first of the three Seeger Sessions and released it on his 2006 album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions.