John Bear, John Bows Lyrics

He was born of good parents

He was raised in loving hands

He never sought to do evil

Or take the life of another man

Even when a mob came and burned his home

And took all his family had

John stood behind the wisdom

And the strength of his humble dad

John Bear-a-hare

John Bows

Whoo hoo hoo

Whoo hoo hoo

John never wished to run

From what the just arm of the law said

But in a dream he was warned

There was danger just ahead

So he packed what he could carry

And he lit out in the dark

Leaving all his life behind him

With a bounty unjustly marked

It was early in the morning

When they came to take him in

The crime would be for something

That he never really did

With shotguns they busted down the doors

To take him dead or alive

But even though they moved quickly

Nobody could ever find

John Bear-a-hare

John Bows

Whoo hoo hoo

Whoo hoo hoo

Many men tried to bring him in

For a profit or a name

But John was quick and fox-like

Leaving them all on a wild chase

Just when they thought they had him

Penned up beyond the bend

John would cover his tracks

Leaving them alone on some dead end

From the ridges of Kentucky

To the hills of Tennessee

All through the endless hunting

Nobody'd ever reach

John Bear-a-hare

John Bows

Whoo hoo hoo

Whoo hoo hoo

A story came from Wyoming

Where winter had set in

A plot was schemed by four

Bad and desperate men

While one challenged John in the streets

Three hid behind some doors

But when the shots rang out and the smoke cleared,

All but John lay dead on the floor

Some say he died thereafter

From the damage the bad had done

But others say they seen him

On his way to Oregon

John Bear-a-hare

John Bows

Whoo hoo hoo

Whoo hoo hoo

Now many say old John is dead

But most, they just don't know

Some seen him up in Alaska

Others swear they seen him in New Mexico

One thing they all agree on

That he was a goodly man

Only out to keep himself alive

In a country with other plans

Some people knew him as John Bear

And others as John Bows

fact is, his name and whereabouts

Most folks'll never know

John Bear-a-hare

John Bows

Whoo hoo hoo

Whoo hoo hoo