N. Howard Thorp: Collected Lyrics
18 / 21
Public-domain lyrics

The Little Cow-girl

N. Howard Thorp

“The Little Cow-girl” as printed in Songs of the Cowboys (1921).

N. Howard Thorp: Collected Lyrics Text 18 1921 · historical text
Public domainCowboy songFolk
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from Songs of the Cowboys, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Daddy come from Brownsville,

En Maw from San Antone;

We come here in a wagon

That ud rock en squeak en groan;

Verse 2

We brought our stock en horses;

The Boys come on afore;

En Dad was playin’ all the way

“Old Turkey in the Straw”!

Verse 3

There’s me en Sister Annie,

En Tom, en Si, en Budd;

We all was raised with cattle,

So I guess it’s in our blood;

Verse 4

En I shore love the dances —

Folks say I take after Maw —

When Dad takes down his fiddle

En plays “Turkey in the Straw”!

Verse 5

We ain’t jest much on stylish,

But we got a good Home Ranch,

En the little old horse-pasture

Runs clear down to the branch.

Verse 6

En we’re all plumb contented

Since Dad put hinges on the door,

En with his old brown fiddle

Plays “Turkey in the Straw”!

Verse 7

I got er pair er shop-made boots

That Dad had made fer me,

Er pair er silver-mounted spurs

Es pretty es can be;

Verse 8

We ride ter all the dances,

En when I get on the floor,

I’m sure to hear Dad playin’

“Old Turkey in the Straw”!

Verse 9

I’ve got a young cow-puncher roped,

I’ve got ’im on my string,

En everything is lovely,

We’ll be married in the spring;

Verse 10

Es we ain’t much on religion,

We’ll be married by the Law,

En I kin hear Dad playin’

“Old Turkey in the Straw”!

Credits

Written by N. Howard Thorp

Words by N. Howard Thorp. Historical text published in Songs of the Cowboys (1921); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

Songs of the Cowboys (1921), “The Little Cow-girl”

The 1921 published edition (collected by N. Howard Thorp) is in the public domain in the United States (pre-1931 publication). Entries whose credited author died more than 70 years ago are also in the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions; traditional entries are public domain.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-26. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
Keep tracing

More from N. Howard Thorp: Collected Lyrics.

01A Border AffairPublic-domain lyrics02A Man Named HodsPublic-domain lyrics03Arroyo Al's Cow-ponyPublic-domain lyrics04Billy the KidPublic-domain lyrics