Woody Guthrie
Lyric guide

Pretty Boy Floyd

Read Pretty Boy Floyd lyrics by Woody Guthrie on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

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Page type: lyric reference Artist: Woody Guthrie Canonical path: /guthrie-woody/pretty-boy-floyd Related lyric paths: 6
Lyrics

Pretty Boy Floyd

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If you'll gather 'round me, children,

A story I will tell

'Bout Pretty Boy Floyd, an outlaw,

Oklahoma knew him well.

It was in the town of Shawnee,

A Saturday afternoon,

His wife beside him in his wagon

As into town they rode.

There a deputy sheriff approached him

In a manner rather rude,

Vulgar words of anger,

An' his wife she overheard.

Pretty Boy grabbed a log chain,

And the deputy grabbed his gun;

In the fight that followed

He laid that deputy down.

Then he took to the trees and timber

To live a life of shame;

Every crime in Oklahoma

Was added to his name.

But a many a starving farmer

The same old story told

How the outlaw paid their mortgage

And saved their little homes.

Others tell you 'bout a stranger

That come to beg a meal,

Underneath his napkin

Left a thousand dollar bill.

It was in Oklahoma City,

It was on a Christmas Day,

There was a whole car load of groceries

Come with a note to say:

Well, you say that I'm an outlaw,

You say that I'm a thief.

Here's a Christmas dinner

For the families on relief.

Yes, as through this world I've wandered

I've seen lots of funny men;

Some will rob you with a six-gun,

And some with a fountain pen.

And as through your life you travel,

Yes, as through your life you roam,

You won't never see an outlaw

Drive a family from their home.

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Who performs "Pretty Boy Floyd"?

Woody Guthrie performs "Pretty Boy Floyd", and this lyric page sits inside the Woody Guthrie catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Pretty Boy Floyd"?

Yes. The related section below points to Joe Dimaggio Done It Again and Pass Away with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Woody Guthrie?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Woody Guthrie's lyric pages.

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