The First of the Jewish Cowboys

I emigrated from Russia.
The pogroms drove me off.
I came down the gengplank at New York.
Oy, I had such a cough.

They said, Iz, go out to the Vest.
It's vild, but the air is tame.
I'm the foist of the Jewish cowboys.
Izzy Cohen is my name.

And I sing Ki-yi-yippee-ki-yi
And a Hava Nagila, true.
If you vas a Jewish cowboy
You'd sing the same vay, too.

I got me a shooter vot shoots six
And I leased myself a horse.
I named half dot horse Nicholas
After the Tsar of course.

And I sing, etc.

I ride and rope the longhorns.
I drive 'em to Santa Fe
And as I drive them dogies along
I yell out a loud, "Oy, veh!"

And I sing, etc.

I vent with the boys to Miss Kitty's.
Dere was shiksas everywhere
And vot's vorst of all, them shiksas,
Dey ran around half bare.

And I sing, etc.

I'm buying me some kettle.
I've got two dozen head
I'll use the Mogen for my brand
The day I own a spread.

And I sing, etc.

Yes, I'm going to have me a rench
And bring Rachel from New York.
We'll eat brisket cut from our own cows
And never cook up pork.

And I sing, etc.

I'm going to raise me up some sons,
A dozen, maybe more
And ven they're grown I'll set them up
In a Dallas drygoods store.

And I sing, etc.

I'm glad I live here in Texas
And not in a Russian town,
'Cause if I vas to see a Cossack here
I could up and shoot him down.

And I sing Ki-yi-yippee-ki-yi
And a Hava Nagila, true.
If you was to see a Cossack here,
You'd shoot the bestard, too.