Music by Lewis F. Muir and Maurice Abrahams, lyrics by Grant Clarke
Out in Arizona where the bad men are
And the only thing to guide you is an evening star
The roughest and toughest man by far is Ragtime Cowboy Joe
He got his name from singin’ to the cows and sheep
Every night they say he sings the herd to sleep
In a bass-o voice, so rich and deep, croonin' soft and low
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 his gun
Because the Western folks all know
He's a high falutin' rootin' shootin'
Son of a gun from Arizona
Ragtime Cowboy Joe
He dressed up every Sunday in his Sunday clothes
He beats it for 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
The wise men know his forty-four makes men dance for fair
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 his gun
Because the Western folks all know
He's a high falutin' rootin' shootin'
Son of a gun from Arizona
Ragtime Cowboy Joe