I am a reckless highway man
Cole Younger is my name
My crimes and depredations
Have brought my life to shame
For the robbing of a Northfield bank
That I can't deny
Now I'm here in prison, in Stillwater jail I lie

It's of a bold high robbery
A story I will tell
Of a California miner
Whose fate to us befell
We robbed him of his money and then
Bade him go his way
For that I will be sorry until my dying day

Then we rode toward Texas
That good old Lone Star state
On Nebraska's praries
The James boys we did meet
We saddled up our horses
And northward we did ride
Into Minnesota, our six guns at our sides

My eye was on the Northfield bank
And Brother Bob did say
\ " If we undertake the job
We'll surely curse the day\ "
But we stationed out our pickets
And up to the bank did go
It was there upon the counter
We struck our fatal blow

But the cashier, being brave and bold
Denied our noted band
Jesse James fired the shot
That killed that noble man
In vain, we searched the money drawers
While the battle raged outside
Until we saw our safety was
A quick and desperate ride

So come on boys and ride for life
There's hundreds on our trail
We soon were overtaken
And landed right in jail
In Stillwater jail I lie
Wearing my life away
Let Frank and Jesse tell the tale
Of that sad, eventful day
I am a reckless highway man
Cole Younger is my name