Ye gentlemen and ladies fair who grace this famous city,
Just listen, if you've time to spare, while I rehearse a ditty.
And for the opportunity conceive yourselves quite lucky.
for it's hardly ever that you see a hunter from Kentucky.
Oh Kentucky, the hunters of Kentucky!
Oh Kentucky, the hunters of Kentucky!
We are a hardy, free-born race, each man to fear a stranger;
Whate'er the game we join in chase, despoiling time and danger.
And if a daring foe annoys, whate'er his strength and forces,
We'll show him that Kentucky boys are alligator horses.
I s'pose you've read it in the prints, How Packenham attempted
To make Old Hickory Jackson wince, but soon his scheme repented.
For we, with rifles ready cock'd thought such occasion lucky,
And soon around the gen'ral flock'd the hunters of Kentucky.
You've heard, I s'pose how New-Orleans is famed for wealth and beauty.
There's girls of ev'ry hue it seems, from snowy white to sooty.
So Packenham he makes his brags, if he in fight was lucky,
He'd have their girls and cotton bags, in spite of old Kentucky
But Jackson he was wide awake and was not scared at trifles,
For well he knew what aim we'd take with our Kentucky rifles.
So he led us down to cypress swamp, the ground was low and mucky.
There stood John Bull in martial pomp, but here was old Kentucky.
A bank was raised to hide our breasts, not that we thought of dying,
But then we always liked a rest unless the game was flying.
Behind it stood our little band, not wishing to be greater,
The flower of old Kentucky's land, half horse, half alligator.
They did not let our patience tire before they showed their faces.
We did not choose to waste our fire, so snugly kept our places.
But when so nigh we saw them wink, we thought it time to stop them
And 'twould have done you good, I think, to see Kentuckians drop 'em
They found, at last, 'twas vain to fight where lead was all their booty,
And so they wisely took their flight and left us all our beauty.
And now if danger e'er annoys, remember what our trade is.
Just send for us Kentucky boys, and we'll protect ye, ladies.
