Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

Sweet Betsy from Pike Lyrics by Harry McClintock

0

[Verse 1]
Oh, don't you remember Sweet Betsy from Pike
Who crossed the big mountains with her lover, Ike
With two yoke of cattle, a large yellow dog
A tall Shanghai rooster and one spotted hog?
[Chorus]
Saying, "Goodbye, Pike County, farewell for a while
Goodbye, Pike County, farewell for a while
Goodbye, Pike County, farewell for a while
We'll come back again when we panned out our pile"
[Verse 2]
One evening quite early they camped on the plat
Was near by the road on a green shady flat
Where Betsy quite tired lay down to repose
While with wonder Ike gazed on his Pike County rose
[Verse 3]
They soon reached the desert where Betsy give out
And down in the sand she lay rolling about
While Ike in great terrors looked on in surprise
Sayin', "Betsy get up, you'll get sand in your eyes"
[Verse 4]
Sweet Besty got up in a great deal of pain
And declared she'd go back to Pike County again
Then Ike heaved a sigh, and they fondly embraced
And she traveled along with his arm 'round her waist
[Chorus]
Saying, "Goodbye, Pike County, farewell for while
Goodbye, Pike County, farewell for a while
Goodbye, Pike County, farewell for a while
We'll come back again when we panned out our pile"
[Verse 5]
The Shanghai run off, and the cattle all died
The last piece of bacon one morning was fried
Poor Ike got discouraged, and Betsy got mad
The dog wagged his tail and looked wonderful sad
[Verse 6]
One morning they climbed up a very high hill
And with wonder looked down into old Placerville
Ike shouted and said as he cast his eyes down
"Sweet Betsy, my darling, we've got to Hangtown"
[Verse 7]
Long Ike and Sweet Betsy attended a dance
Where Ike wore a pair of his Pike County pants
Sweet Betsy was covered with ribbons and rings
Said, "Ike, you're an angel but where are your wings?"
[Verse 8]
A miner said, "Betsy will you dance with me?"
"I will, Ol' Hoss, if you don't make too free
But don't dance me hardly, you oughta know why
Doggone you, I'm chock-full of strong alkali"
[Verse 9]
Long Ike and sweet Betsy got married, of course
But Ike getting jealous obtained a divorce
And Betsy, well satisfied said, with a shout
"Goodbye, you big lummox, I'm glad you've backed out"
[Chorus]
Saying, "Goodbye, Dear Isaac, farewell for a while
Goodbye, Dear Isaac, farewell for a while
Goodbye, Dear Isaac, farewell for a while
But come back in time to replenish my pile"
Credits
Harry McClintock

Harry McClintock

About “Sweet Betsy from Pike” by Harry McClintock

Read the complete lyrics to "Sweet Betsy from Pike" by Harry McClintock. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop, USA, In English.

"Sweet Betsy from Pike" is performed by Harry McClintock. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Sweet Betsy from Pike", explore more songs by Harry McClintock using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Harry McClintock · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Sweet Betsy from Pike" is credited to Harry McClintock. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

Album information for "Sweet Betsy from Pike" is not available in our database yet. You can still read the full lyrics on this page.

Visit the Harry McClintock artist page at /artist/harry-mcclintock for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.