Hey hey-hey-hey-hey, hey hey hey hey hey
Hey hey-hey-hey-hey, hey hey hey hey...
And every cow and calf, I believe was born to die
I'm a-milk my heifer2, milk her in a churn
I'll milk my heifer, I'll milk her in a churn
If you see my rider, tell her it ain't a darn thing doin'3
I wringed my hands, baby, and I wanted to scream
I wringed my hands, honey, and I wanted to scream
And when I woke up I thought it was all a dream
Hey hey-hey-hey-hey, hey hey hey hey
Hey hey-hey-hey-hey, hey hey hey hey...
And every cow and calf, I believe was born to die
Hey hey-hey, I ain't gonna be here long
Hey hey-hey, pretty mama, I ain't gonna be here long
That's the reason why you hear me singin' my old lonesome song
Hey, hey-hey-hey-hey-hey, hey hey hey hey
Hey hey-hey-hey-hey, hey hey hey hey hey
And every cow's calf, honey, got to be dyin'
I walked the levee from end to end
I walked the levee, honey, from end to end
I was just tryin' to find, my calf, again
I'm feelin' back to my used-to...
I feel a notion, back to my used-to-be
I have a pretty mama, she don't care for me
__________
Note 1: although women are clearly represented by the expressions "heifer" and "calf" in the second and seventh verses, James described this song as a product of boyhood experiences tending his grandmother's cattle, whose waywardness drove him to distraction;
Note 2: heifer, a young cow; one that has not had a calf. To all us city-slickers this poses an interesting question: how does one milk a cow that never has had a calf?. Mail me if you know the answer... (indecent and or obscene language will be punishable by law);
Note 3: here James asks the listener to conceal his infidelity to his "rider".
