Lyrics

I'm goin' out West, down on the Rio Grande Singin' fare-thee, O my honey, O my honey, fare-thee-well! I'm goin' out West, down on the Rio Grande And it's fare-thee, O my honey, fare-thee-well! The twenty-fifth of September, Martin F. a man tall and slender He was the man who committed that most terrible deed. On a Sunday morning, with hardly any warning He shot and killed his high-brown Alice B Martin F. was a coward, he run, O how he did run! In his hand he carried a smokin' forty-one; He ran up to de co't, says: "Judge, I committed that terrible crime And now I'm ready for to serve my ninety-and-nine." Alice B. like a baby lay on her dyin' bed She says: "Mammy, I want you to take care of my little girl Keep her feet from slippin' through, 'cause I love her, 'deed I do An' I hopes to meet her in that other worl'." De judge held co't de very next day; Martin F. refused, absolutely refused, to testify. He says: "Judge, I killed my baby, my Alice B., And now that I killed her I'm all ready to die." " She was a good woman, an' I loved her, 'deed I did We had such good times, together all the time Till one night I went out, got filled with a squirrel gin An' when I saw her I completely los' my min'." Then come all you rounders, an' all you high-browns too Take heed to what dis man has done You may go out some night, get filled with squirrel rum An' do the very same thing that Martin has done Then I'm goin' out West, down on the Rio Grande Singin' fare-thee, O my honey, O my honey, fare-thee-well! I'm goin' out West, down on the Rio Grande Singin' fare-thee, O my honey, fare-thee-well!