As with many popular songs of the era, the
verse is often omitted: the
refrain's lyrics vary somewhat depending on the performer. (verse) :
Out in Arizona :
Where the bad men are, :
And the only friend to guide you :
Is an evening star, :
The roughest and the toughest :
Man by far :
Is Ragtime Cowboy Joe. :
He got his name from singing :
To the cows and sheep :
Every night they say :
He sings the herd to sleep :
In a basso :
Rich and deep, :
Crooning soft and low. (refrain) :
He always sings :
Raggy music to the cattle :
As he swings :
Back and forward in the saddle :
On a horse :
That is syncopated gaited : ''And there's such a funny meter'' :
To the roar of his repeater. :
How they run : ''When they hear that fellow's gun'' :
Because the Western folks all know : ''He's a high-faluting, scooting, shooting,'' :
Son of a gun from Arizona, :
Ragtime Cowboy Joe. (verse) :
Dressed up every Sunday :
In his Sunday clothes :
He beats it to the village :
Where he always goes :
And every girl : ''In town is Joe's'' : '' 'Cause he's a ragtime bear.'' :
When he starts a-spieling :
On the dance hall floor :
No one but a lunatic :
Would start a war :
Wise men know :
His forty-four :
Makes men dance for fair. Variations include: "Where the bad lands are", "How he sings", "Ragtime music", "That's syncopated gaited/And you ought to hear the meter", "scootin' shootin'" or "rootin' tootin'", "Son of a gun from old Wyoming", or additions of "(A pretty good horse)", "He's some cowboy", and/or "Talk about your cowboy". ==On radio==