bald butte so lofty and so high
where the plains wrap round the sky
you can dig a hole on bald butte when i die
henry was born on bald butte
a paint horse he did ride
well he roped him in alberta
broke him on the montana line
tore him a trail through the northwest countryside
he got the devil on his shoulders
and the law man on his tail
you ain't got no friends to go your bail
well he rode across the grey back camp
they said they left the us nation
on the day that richmond fell
they whistled dixie and set him up a still
like a corpse from the grave
half blind and twice as haggard
he took a cast iron to the brain
they stole his horse and the rifle that shared his name
and he tracked them former johnny rebs
through the prairie and the trees
what do you think he sees
i see my rifle that shares my name
i see them men that done me wrong
i'm gonna do them just the same
he kissed the ever-loving barrel
and he shot them old boys down
now he's back up in the saddle
when he felt that southern slug
chew a hole right through his gut
he thought he killed them all
that paint took off a running
through the water and the mud
no earthly force in this whole world
could stop that 'berta stud
henry sat there laughing up his blood
bald butte so lofty and so high
where the plains wrap round the the sky
you can dig a hole on bald butte when i die