Outlaws.........the word itself seethes with visions of fierce and reckless desperados armed to the teeth and rushing headlong into trouble. This wild breed of of men and women had their day in frontier America from the end of the Civil War until the 1890's. Like the hair triggers on their six-guns, they were walking sticks of dynamite, ready to explode without much notice. But outlaws were not alone in being edgy. Many of the men and women who ventured into the frontier had a restless spirit. Impetuous, fearless, not afraid to take risks...no wonder the West was wild! This independent breed of men and women often yielded to temptation to break the law in a land which scarcely had law. The timid stayed behind to mind the store.
Like the oulaws themselves, outlaw ballads pack a pretty fair punch. Those who composed the ballads were far from imparial when wielding their pens. Many had a score to settle, a wrong to right, a moral to deliver.
The outlaw ballads have helped to keep alive the memory of these bad men and women in the days in which they lived better than faded newspaper clippings, or dusty books.
So sit back with us, relax, and enjoy these classic tales! More will be continuously added.
These ballads were taken from Wayne Erbsen's book "OUTLAW." No portion of it may be taken from this page without prior consent from one of The Lady Riders. It is fully copyrighted to the author, and we intend no act of plagiarism, as it is posted for the enjoyment of others.
