"Ragtime Cowboy Joe" is a popular western swing song. The lyrics were written by Grant Clarke and the music was composed by Lewis F. Muir and Maurice Abrahams. It was copyrighted and published in 1912 by F.A. Mills.
Artists
The song has been recorded by a diverse group of artists, including Bob Roberts (1912), the Tune Wranglers (1936), Pinky Tomlin (1939), Eddy Howard (1947), Jo Stafford (1949), and the Chipmunks (1959). It was also performed by Betty Hutton in the 1945 musical film Incendiary Blonde.
In 1978, Jimmy Stewart made a memorable surprise cameo appearance performing on the piano on the final Carol Burnett Show.
Origin
The song's lyricist and composers are Clarke, Muir and Abrahams. Clarke also wrote "Second Hand Rose". "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" was composed in Brooklyn after an appearance at the home of Abrahams by his nephew, Joe Abrahams, wearing a cowboy outfit. Maurice Abrahams was so captivated by the appearance of his nephew dressed up as a cowboy that he was inspired to write "Ragtime Cowboy Joe". It became a number-one hit song for singer Bob Roberts, also the second best-selling record of 1912.
Original lyrics
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
"Ragtime Cowboy Joe" was the radio show theme song for New York City's long running, award-winning public radio show, Cowboy Joe's Radio Ranch (1976–1988), hosted by Paul Aaron, New York's Cowboy Joe. During one of his radio shows Paul Aaron had the elder Joe Abrahams (the original Cowboy Joe) as a special guest. Paul Aaron played many versions of his favorite song dating back to one sung by Bob Roberts from an RCA Victor 78 rpm record. He also played many "live" versions recorded during the University of Wyoming football and basketball games. A more recent rendition of the song appears on Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks' 2009 album "Tangled Tales".
College fight songs
University of Wyoming song
"Ragtime Cowboy Joe" is also the fight song of the University of Wyoming. Traditionally, Cowboy fans stand and clap to the beat of the song as played by Wyoming's Western Thunder Marching Band. The version of the song appropriated by Wyoming was written by Francis Edwin Stroup (1909–2010) in 1961. He rewrote the chorus. Stroup had been an assistant professor of Health and Physical Education for Men at Wyoming until August 31, 1950. He also had composed the fight song for his alma mater, the University of North Texas in 1939, ten years after graduating. The song, "Fight, North Texas", has endured for years and the lyrics have changed minimally to reflect the name changes of the university. Stroup also composed school songs for Drake University and the University of Chicago. Stroup, while teaching at Northern Illinois University in 1961, also wrote the "Huskie Fight Song", which was adopted as the university's fight song in 1963.
The lyrics Stroup wrote for the University of Wyoming follow:
(for the Cowboys)
C! O! W! B! O! Y! S! COWBOYS! COWBOYS! COWBOYS!
(for the Cowgirls)
C! O! W! G! I! R! L! S! COWGIRLS! COWGIRLS! COWGIRLS!