Sweet Betsy from Pike 
This song was sung along the California  Overland Trail. In this version, we sing of the “far  west”. 

​Did you ever hear of sweet Betsy from Pike?
She crossed the wide prairies with her husband,  Ike. 
With two yoke of oxen and one spotted hog,
And a fat Shang-hai rooster, 
And an old yeller dog. 
Sing too-ra-li, oo-ra-li, oo-ra-li aye. 
Sing too-ra-li, oo-ra-li, oo-ra-li aye. 

One evening quite early they camped by a  stream. 
To reach the far west, oh that was their dream.
The Shanghai was “et” and the cattle just died,
The last strip of bacon that morning was fried.
Sing too-ra-li, oo-ra-li, oo-ra-li aye. 
Sing too-ra-li, oo-ra-li, oo-ra-li aye. 

Then they swam the wide rivers and crossed the  tall peaks, 
And lived on wild berries and water for weeks.
Starvation and hard work and sun-stroke as well,
But they reached the far west in spite of it all. 
Sing too-ra-li, oo-ra-li, oo-ra-li aye. 
Sing too-ra-li, oo-ra-li, oo-ra-li aye.