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Buffalo Skinners

from DAKOTA by The Good Hand

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lyrics

It was in the town of Griffin in the year of ‘83
When a man by the name of Crego came walking up to me
Saying “how do you do young fellow, and would you like to go
And spend one summer pleasant on the trail of the buffalo.”

Me being out of work right then to this Crego I did say
This going out on the buffalo road depends upon your pay
But if you pay good wages, transportation to and fro
Then I’ll agree to work for you ‘till the hills of Mexico”

He said, “Yes, I pay good wages and transportation, too
If you’ll agree to work for me until the season’s through
But if you do grow homesick and try to run away
You’ll starve to death out on the trail
And also lose your pay.”

With all this flattering talking he signed up quite a train
Some ten or twelve in number, all able-bodied men
Our trip it was a pleasant one as we took the westward road
Until we hit ole Boggy creek

Was there our pleasures ended our troubles all began
A lightning storm hit us, it made the cattle run
I got all full of stickers in the cactus that did grow
Outlaws waiting to pick us off on the trail of the buffalo

Our hearts were cased in buffalo hocks, buffalo was our bread
All we had to sleep on was buffalo skins for a bed
While skinning the damned old stinkers our lives they had no show
I tell you there’s no hell on earth like the trail of the buffalo

The working season ended and the drover would not pay
“You went and drunk too much, you’re all in debt to me.”
But the cowboys had never heard of such a thing as a bankrupt law
So we left that Crego’s bones to bleach in the hot, desert sun

credits

from DAKOTA, released April 4, 2022
Vocals & acoustic: Michael Patrick F. Smith
Pedal Steel: Susan Alcorn
Fiddle: Blakely Burger
Upright Bass: Maeve Royce
Drums: Al Sgro
Harmonium: Linda Jean Stokely

Produced by Michael Patrick F. Smith
Engineered by J. Tom Hnatow
Mixed by Duane Lundy
Mastered by Paul Dugre

Trad. Arr. by Michael Patrick F. Smith

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The Good Hand Lexington, Kentucky

Michael Patrick F. Smith is a writer and musician. His book THE GOOD HAND: A Memoir of Work, Brotherhood, and Transformation, is currently available on Viking Press.

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