BALLAD OF BILL PICKETT

Long before white men worked as cowboys
It was Blacks and Indians and Mexicans too
They earned so little three months on the trail
With whisky and a whore and there’s it all blew

Bill Pickett was the first great American cowboy
He was the best but he was black
He was a Negro Cherokee Indian cowboy
Ain’t no use to Hollywood and that’s a fact!
Oh Bill! Ain’t no use to Hollywood

Now Pickett brought bull dogging into the rodeo
No one had tried it Bill’s way before
‘Cos Bill didn’t need no lassos nor nothing
Just bare hands and teeth got the bull on the floor
Oh Bill! Ain’t no use to Hollywood

Y’see, Bill would reach over and grab the bull by the horns
He got pulled off his horse ‘n dragged the steer’s head around
Bill bites the bull’s lip and sinks his teeth in
Lets go his hands ‘n chews the bull to the ground
Oh Bill! Ain’t no use to Hollywood

Now Bill had a lot of friends in the rodeo
He worked with Tom Mix and Will Rogers too
But they were both white and Bill was a Zambo
So they got rich and famous and Bill stayed blue
Oh Bill! Y’ain’t no use to Hollywood
Bull dogging with his teeth
Oh Bill! Y’ain’t no use to Hollywood
Bull dogging with his teeth

Now Bill Pickett was the first great American cowboy…

Hank Wangford