“Sweet Baby James” Lyrics

There is a young cowboy, he lives on the range. His horse and his cattle are his only companions
He works in the saddle and he sleeps in the canyons, waiting for summer, his pastures to change
And as the moon rises he sits by his fire, thinking about women and glasses of beer
And closing his eyes as the dogies retire, he sings out a song which is soft but it’s clear
as if maybe someone could hear…

Goodnight you moon light ladies, rock-a-bye sweet baby James
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose, won’t you let me go down in my dreams?
And rock-a-bye sweet baby James

Now the first of December was covered with snow
and so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
Though the Berkshires seemed dreamlike on account of that frosting
with ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go
There’s a song that they sing when they take to the highway
a song that they sing when they take to the sea
a song that they sing of their home in the sky, maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep
but singing works just fine for me

So, goodnight you moon light ladies, rock-a-bye sweet baby James
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose, won’t you let me go down in my dreams?
And rock-a-bye sweet baby James