| Dm | F | |
| On a small Miss | ouri farm |
| C | F | |
| Back | when the West was | young |
| Dm | C | |
| Two boys learned to | rope and ride |
| A# | F | |
| And be | handy with a | gun |
| Dm | F | |
| War broke out bet | ween the states |
| C | F | |
| And they | joined up with Cant | rell |
| Dm | C | |
| And it was | over in Clay | County |
| A# | C | F | |
| That | Frank and Jesse | finally learned to | kill |
| Chorus: |
| Dm | C | F | |
| Keep on | riding, | riding, | riding |
| A# | F | |
| Frank and Jesse | James |
| Dm | C | F | |
| Keep on | riding, | riding, | riding |
| A# | F | |
| Un | til you clear your | names |
| Dm | C | F | |
| Keep on | riding, | riding, | riding |
| A# | F | |
| Across the | rivers and the | plains |
| Dm | C | F | |
| Keep on | riding, | riding, | riding |
| A# | Dm | |
| Frank and Jesse | James |
| Second Verse: |
| Dm | F | |
| After Appo | madox, |
| C | F | |
| they was | on the losing | side |
| Dm | C | |
| so no | amnesty was | granted |
| A# | F | |
| and as | outlaws they did | ride |
| Dm | F | |
| they | rode against the | railroads |
| C | F | |
| and they | rode against the | banks |
| Dm | C | |
| and they | rode against the | governor |
| A# | C | F | |
| never did they | ask for a word of | thanks |
| Chorus |
| Third Verse: |
| Dm | F | |
| Robert Ford, a | gunman, |
| C | F | |
| In ex | change for his pa | rol |
| Dm | C | |
| Took the | life of James the | outlaw |
| A# | F | |
| Which he | snuck up on and | stole |
| Dm | F | |
| No one know just | where they came |
| C | F | |
| To | be misunder | stood |
| Dm | C | |
| But the | poor Missouri | farmers know |
| A# | C | F | |
| That | Frank and Jesse | do the best they | could |
| Chorus x2 |