Elliot Valentine Lee, Mel Hornyak - The Ballad of Jimmy July

Anthony
Let me tell you the story of jimmy july
First "american chinese" beneath the big sky
The papers and gawkers made jimmy well-known
But despite all his fame, jimmy still died alone

Poor, poor, jimmy july
Your pride ran so deep and your dreams flew so high
There wasn't a place between here and the sky
For a fella like jimmy, jimmy july

He must've been born, but where, we don’t know
He came to america too long ago
He rode to gold mountain, bought one plot of land
And panned so much gold that his horse couldn't stand!

So jimmy, he up'n decided to stay
He settled in butte, just a half-day away
Saw the white men all living a comfortable life
And somebody cut off his cue with a knife

Poor, poor, jimmy july
Your pride ran so deep and your dreams flew so high
There wasn't a place between here and the sky
For a fella like jimmy, jimmy july
Jimmy july chose his name from a book
Then he bought a new house and he bought a new look
On the fourth of july, he wore red, white, and blue
And he knew "we, the people," and they knew him, too

Now jimmy became the talk of the town
He wore cowboy boots and he slicked his hair down
The copper kings wouldn’t invite him to stay
But they'd go out for dinner - as long as he'd pay

Poor, poor, jimmy july
Your pride ran so deep and your dreams flew so high
There wasn't a place between here and the sky
For a fella like jimmy, jimmy july

Now jimmy july wasn't always so nice
He loved his white women and he loved his white vice
And he lost his fortune, the way it gets told
The same way he went out 'n' gambled for gold

And 'round that time folks thought the chinese should go!
Threw rocks at their shops to let customers know
Asked jimmy what kinds of men they should allow
He said, "why would i care? i'm american now."

Poor, poor, jimmy july
Your pride ran so deep and your dreams flew so high
There wasn't a place between here and the sky
For a fella like jimmy, jimmy july
Jimmy came to an end, as everyone does
Still not knowin' what kind of person he was
And they passed 'round the hat, but nobody gave
So they settled him down in a pauper’s grave

The few chinese left didn’t know folks named "jim"
His white friends all left when his money left him
And on a grey sunday morning, the horses walked slow
Waiting for someone or something to show

All
Poor, poor, jimmy july
Your pride ran so deep and your dreams flew so high
There wasn't a place between here and the sky
For the spirit of jimmy july

Anthony
If he was chinese then his bones still can't rest
And if he was white he's in limbo at best
But i don't think he was white or chinese no more
But something that no one had been before

All
Poor, poor, jimmy july
Your pride ran so deep and your dreams flew so high
Wasn't a place between here and the sky
For the spirit of jimmy, jimmy july
Poor, poor, jimmy july
He wanted to live here, or wanted to try
Anthony
But he laughed all the way to his place in the sky
Cause we still sing the ballad of jimmy, jimmy july

All
Poor, poor, jimmy july
Poor, poor, jimmy july