“Yavipai Pete (Old Iron Pants Pete)”

Description

Cowboy Yavipai (Iron Pants) Pete is refused a job because he's not tough enough for the job. Pete lassos a bear with barbed wire, rides it back to the ranch (with a rattlesnake for a quirt) and asks whether he can have the job now. The rancher hires him

Long description

Yavipai (Iron Pants) Pete is described, a rough and rowdy but skilled cowboy. Refused a job by a rancher, who says he's not tough enough for the job, he lassos a bear with barbed wire, rides it back to the ranch (with a rattlesnake for a quirt) and asks whether he can have the job now. The rancher hires him, noting that the bear had eaten the range boss the previous night

Notes

Jackson reports that this was originally an Arizona song, "Yavipi Pete," but that he and his fellow Wyoming ranch-hands renamed it, "Old Iron Pants Pete" and substituted local place names. - PJS

Recordings

• Harry Jackson, "Old Iron Pants Pete" (on HJackson1)