Pretty
Field Music and others Lyrics
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A story I will tell
'Bout Pretty Boy Floyd, an outlaw,
Oklahoma knew him well.
It was in the town of Shawnee,
A Saturday afternoon,
His wife beside him in his wagon
There a deputy sheriff approached him
In a manner rather rude,
Vulgar words of anger,
An' his wife she overheard.
Pretty Boy grabbed a log chain,
And the deputy grabbed his gun;
In the fight that followed
He laid that deputy down.
Then he took to the trees and timber
To live a life of shame;
Every crime in Oklahoma
Was added to his name.
But a many a starving farmer
The same old story told
How the outlaw paid their mortgage
And saved their little homes.
Others tell you 'bout a stranger
That come to beg a meal,
Underneath his napkin
Left a thousand dollar bill.
It was in Oklahoma City,
It was on a Christmas Day,
There was a whole car load of groceries
Come with a note to say:
Well, you say that I'm an outlaw,
You say that I'm a thief.
Here's a Christmas dinner
For the families on relief.
Yes, as through this world I've wandered
I've seen lots of funny men;
Some will rob you with a six-gun,
And some with a fountain pen.
And as through your life you travel,
Yes, as through your life you roam,
You won't never see an outlaw
Drive a family from their home.
The song "Pretty Boy Floyd" tells the life story of Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd, an American bank robber who became infamous during the Great Depression era. The lyrics begin with an invitation to the audience to listen to a story about the notorious outlaw who was well-known in Oklahoma. The first verse sets the scene in Shawnee, Oklahoma, where Floyd and his wife were on a wagon ride when they encountered a deputy sheriff who the lyrics suggest was rude and disrespectful towards them. This led to a fight between Floyd and the deputy, with Floyd using a log chain to knock down the deputy. The rest of the song goes on to recount the many crimes and exploits of Pretty Boy Floyd, but also highlights his charitable acts towards struggling farmers and families in need, including a Christmas Day gift of a carload of groceries to families on relief. The final verse of the song contrasts the actions of violent robbers and those who exploit others for financial gain with the kindness and generosity of Pretty Boy Floyd.
Line by Line Meaning
If you'll gather 'round me, children,
The singer is inviting the audience to listen to a story
A story I will tell
The singer has a tale to recount
'Bout Pretty Boy Floyd, an outlaw,
The story is about a legendary criminal named Pretty Boy Floyd
Oklahoma knew him well.
The outlaw was well-known in Oklahoma
It was in the town of Shawnee,
The story takes place in Shawnee, Oklahoma
A Saturday afternoon,
The time of day when the incident occurred
His wife beside him in his wagon
Pretty Boy Floyd's wife was with him in the wagon
As into town they rode.
The couple was traveling into town
There a deputy sheriff approached him
A law enforcement officer confronted the outlaw
In a manner rather rude,
The deputy was disrespectful in his approach
Vulgar words of anger,
The officer used profanity and expressed his anger
An' his wife she overheard.
The wife was present and heard the exchange
Pretty Boy grabbed a log chain,
The outlaw picked up a heavy chain
And the deputy grabbed his gun;
The officer pulled out his firearm
In the fight that followed
A physical altercation ensued
He laid that deputy down.
The outlaw overpowered the deputy and knocked him down
Then he took to the trees and timber
The outlaw fled and went into hiding in the woods
To live a life of shame;
The outlaw lived an illicit life
Every crime in Oklahoma
Pretty Boy Floyd was a notorious criminal who committed many crimes in Oklahoma
Was added to his name.
The outlaw's reputation grew with every crime he committed
But a many a starving farmer
Many poor farmers
The same old story told
Had a similar story to tell
How the outlaw paid their mortgage
Pretty Boy Floyd helped the farmers pay off their debts
And saved their little homes.
He saved their homes from foreclosure
Others tell you 'bout a stranger
There are other stories about an unknown person
That come to beg a meal,
Who begs for food
Underneath his napkin
Hidden under his napkin
Left a thousand dollar bill.
Is a generous tip of one thousand dollars
It was in Oklahoma City,
The story takes place in Oklahoma City
It was on a Christmas Day,
The event happened on Christmas day
There was a whole car load of groceries
A car was filled with food items
Come with a note to say:
There was a message with the delivery
Well, you say that I'm an outlaw,
The anonymous benefactor is aware of his reputation as a criminal
You say that I'm a thief.
People accuse him of being a thief
Here's a Christmas dinner
He gifts a Christmas meal
For the families on relief.
Helping the needy who are dependent on charity
Yes, as through this world I've wandered
As the singer travels through life
I've seen lots of funny men;
He has encountered many interesting characters
Some will rob you with a six-gun,
Some people use violence and weapons to steal from you
And some with a fountain pen.
Others use their power or authority to exploit you
And as through your life you travel,
As the listener moves through their own life
Yes, as through your life you roam,
During their journey
You won't never see an outlaw
They will never come across an outlaw
Drive a family from their home.
Who forces a family to lose their house or property.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gideon Ibemere
brilliant this is. Thank you for posting this up here. I've been looking for something that wasn't a mediocre video for some time now!.
TrifleBizarre
And so are you x
Chee- Rex
LittleBigPlanet trailer 😀