“The Dying Ranger”

Description

A cowboy/soldier tells of his sister left alone at home. His comrades promise to treat her as their sister. The wounded man dies happy. (Other details occur in localized versions; the verses -- and the dying hero -- vary widely)

Recordings

• Dock Boggs, "Dying Ranger" (on Boggs3, BoggsCD1)
• Cartwright Brothers, "The Dying Ranger" (Victor V-40198, 1930; Montgomery Ward M-4460, 1934; on WhenIWas2)
• Buell Kazee, "The Dying Soldier" (Brunswick 214, 1928)
• Glenn Ohrlin, "The Dying Ranger" (on Ohrlin01)
• Luther Ossenbrink, "The Dying Ranger" (Champion 16095 [as West Virginia Rail Splitter]/Supertone 9665 [as Arkansas Woodchopper], 1930)
• Johnny Prude, "The Dying Ranger" (AFS, 1940s; on LC28)
• Marc Williams, "The Dying Ranger" (Brunswick 497, c. 1930)

References

1. Laws A14, "The Dying Ranger"
2. Belden, pp. 397-398, "The Dying Cowboy" (1 text)
3. Randolph 188, "The Dying Cowboy" (2 texts, 2 tunes) AND 216, "The Dying Soldier" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. Doerflinger, pp. 274-276, "The Dying Soldier" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. FSCatskills 19, "The Shades of the Palmetto" (2 texts, 1 tune)
6. Ohrlin-HBT 50, "Ranger's Prayer" (1 text, not recognized as a version of this song, but with the same plot, metrical pattern, and some lyrics); 52, "The Dying Ranger" (1 text, 1 tune)
7. JHCox 64, "The Dying Ranger" (1 text)
8. JHCoxIIB, #10, p. 144, "The Dying Ranger" (1 fragment, 1 tune)
9. Huntington-Whalemen, pp. 243-245, "The Dying Soldier" (1 text, 1 tune)
10. Leach-Labrador 53, "The Dying Soldier" (1 text)
11. Ives-NewBrunswick, pp. 17-20, "The Dying Soldier" (1 text, 1 tune)
12. DT 689, DYRANGR DYNGCWBY
13. Roud #628
14. BI, LA14