Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained stro ...

became a

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

and

dime novel The dime novel is a form of late 19th-century and early 20th-century U.S. popular fiction issued in series of inexpensive paperbound editions. The term ''dime novel'' has been used as a catchall term for several different but related forms, r ...

s before he was killed in 1882. A manifestation of this was the emergence of a wide body of music that celebrates or alludes to Jesse James.

Folk song

The most famous song about Jesse James is the

folk song Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...

" recorded in 1924 by

Bascom Lamar Lunsford Bascom Lamar Lunsford (March 21, 1882 – September 4, 1973) was a folklorist, performer of traditional Appalachian music, and lawyer from western North Carolina. He was often known by the nickname "Minstrel of the Appalachians." Biography ...

, and subsequently by many artists, including

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

The Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse". T ...

The Country Gentlemen The Country Gentlemen was a progressive bluegrass band that originated during the 1950s in the area of Washington, D.C., United States, and recorded and toured with various members until the death in 2004 of Charlie Waller (American musician), C ...

Willy DeVille Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr.; August 25, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five-year career, first with his band Mink DeVille (1974–1986) and later on his own, DeVille created orig ...

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

and

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

on his 2006 album '' We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions''.

Other appearances

Prefab Sprout Prefab Sprout are an English pop band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham who rose to fame during the 1980s. Formed in 1978 by brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon and joined by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Wendy Smith in 1982, they r ...

's 1990 album, '' Jordan: The Comeback'' featured a song called "Jesse James Symphony", which segued into another named "Jesse James

Bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

". (These songs are bracketed by a corresponding pair about

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

, to whom Jesse is implicitly compared.) *

Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician. Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Tho ...

, wrote and recorded a song called "Frank and Jesse James", and the song "

Poor Poor Pitiful Me "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" is a rock song written and first recorded by American musician Warren Zevon in 1976. With gender references reversed, it was made a hit twice: first as a top-40 hit for Linda Ronstadt, then over a decade later by Terri Cla ...

", which contains the lyric "I met a girl in West Hollywood, but I ain't namin' names/She really worked me over good/She was just like Jesse James", on his self-titled second album. * Rap singer Scarface released a song titled "Jesse James" on his seminal 1994 album ''The Diary'' * Irish folk-punk band

have a shortened version, missing out the middle two verses, on their album '' Rum, Sodomy and the Lash''. * Clubland recorded a ska tune entitled "Jesse James", in which Jesse is referred to as "the rudest rude boy..." * Terry Allen's song "New Delhi Freight Train" begins "Some people think that I must be crazy / But my real name is just Jesse James", and is narrated by the outlaw. Originally recorded on Allen's 1979 album

Lubbock (On Everything) ''Lubbock (On Everything)'' is a 1979 double album by Texas singer, songwriter and piano player Terry Allen, released on Fate Records. It was reissued on compact disc in 1995 by Sugar Hill Records. and reissued again on CD and LP in October 2016 ...

, the song has been covered by

Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he bega ...

, and by

Little Feat Little Feat is an American rock band formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles. George disbanded the group because of creative differences shortly before his death in 1979. Surviving ...

. * In the 1970s

Mary McCaslin Mary McCaslin (December 22, 1946 – October 2, 2022) was an American folk singer who wrote, recorded, and performed contemporary folk music. Early life McCaslin was born in Indianapolis on December 22, 1946, and was raised in Southern Califor ...

, noted American

folk singer Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...

, recorded "The Band of Jesse James," written by her performing partner and husband

Jim Ringer Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring * ''Ji ...

. "He's wild as a half grown child at a grown-up party Like a mustang dang near kicking down the stall He's the kind to pay no mind to what he started He don't care, `cause he'll be somewhere else by fall A wanted man in Reno, he moves on to Coeur d'Alene You know that man could've rode with the band of Jesse James." * An outtake recorded by the

Band in 1972 called "Don't You Want to be an Outlaw" focuses on the mythical aspects of the American West, with a line in its chorus "Don't you want to be an outlaw / Just like Jesse James." * In 2012

Clay Walker Ernest Clayton Walker Jr. (born August 19, 1969) is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single " What's It to You", which reached Number One on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Son ...

released "Jesse James" as the fourth single from his 2010 studio album She Won't Be Lonely Long. * In 2016 Brazilian/American singer-songwriter Paula Marchesini released the song "Jesse James Blood" on YouTube, credited to herself and a mysterious JJ.

Memorial songs

* ''

The Legend of Jesse James ''The Legend of Jesse James'' is a 1980 country music concept album written by English songwriter Paul Kennerley, based on the story of American Old West outlaw Jesse James. The album features Levon Helm singing the role of Jesse James, Jo ...

'' is a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

documenting his life. It features

Levon Helm Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012) was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for the Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. H ...

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

Charlie Daniels Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, pioneering Southern rock. He was best known for his number-one country hit "The Dev ...

and

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...

, and

Albert Lee Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked, both in the studio and on tour, with many famous musicians from a wide range of genres. He has also mai ...

among others. Written by

Paul Kennerley Paul Kennerley (born 1948) is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer working in the American contemporary country music industry. Biography Paul Kennerley was born in Hoylake, Cheshire (now Merseyside), England in 1948. In 1 ...

, it was originally released in 1980. Two songs on this album, "High Walls" and "One More Shot" have been covered by the roots band,

Marley's Ghost Jacob Marley is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'', a former business partner of the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who has been dead for seven years.Hawes, Donal''Who's Who in Dickens'' Routledge (1998), Goog ...

. * The Irish folk singer

Christy Moore Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore (born 7 May 1945) is an Irish folk singer, songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his significant success as an individual, he is one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts. His first album, ...

wrote a song called "Jesus Christ and Jesse James" about the two of them visiting

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, together during

the Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...

. * The late Timmy Brown wrote a song called "Fighting Man" about Jesse James. * The Cannonballs produced a song about the history of Jesse James called "Outlaw Jesse James"
*

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...

wrote a track titled "James and the Cold Gun" about

, for her 1978 debut album

The Kick Inside ''The Kick Inside'' is the debut Album#Studio, studio album by English art rock singer Kate Bush. Released on 17 February 1978 by EMI Records, it includes her UK No. 1 hit, "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights". The album peaked at No. 3 ...

. *

Dezperadoz Dezperadoz (formerly ''Desperados'') is a German "Western-metal" band and is the side-project of Tom Angelripper's guitarist Alex Kraft. The band plays heavy metal music that is heavily influenced by the soundtracks of the 1960s and 1970s S ...

, with the song "Jumpin' Down The Running Train" *

Dan Fogelberg Daniel Grayling Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his 1970s and 1980s songs, including "Longer" (1979), "Same Old Lang Syne" (1980), and " ...

, the 1985 bluegrass/ traditional acoustic music album "

High Country Snows ''High Country Snows'' is the ninth album by American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, released in 1985 (see 1985 in music). This album was a seminal part of Progressive Bluegrass, or "Newgrass", and featured many bluegrass star players. Track ...

" features the song "The Outlaw" composed by Jay Bolotin. * Rickey Gene Wright is an Americana Singer Songwriter who wrote the song "Frank And Jesse James" in 1982 while he was one of the weekly performers at the Mesquite Opry. This song tells of the effect the American Civil War had on the James Brothers and the reason why they became outlaws, "It was all the same to Frank and Jesse James". * Los Bastardos Magnificos Wrote and Recorded a song entitled "Outlaw Song" which appears on a split CD and their live album. * Terry Allen wrote and recorded the song "New Delhi Freight Train", made popular by Little Feat on their album "Time Loves a Hero", which describes some of the exploits of Jesse James. *The song by Australian singer-songwriter Dave Graney, "Robert Ford On The Stage", from Graney's 1989 Album, "My Life On The Plains" (Dave Graney With The White Buffaloes). Graney's song, both lyrically and musically, is a potent evocation of Robert Ford's tortured psychological state after he killed the notorious Jesse James. The song weaves a haunting narrative, mixing references to the closing moments of an imaginary Australian Rules Football match, and the bizarre stage-show created by Robert and his older brother not long after the assassination, which toured the countryside, and in which they enacted for audiences how James was shot in the back by the man who once worshipped him as a hero.

Mentions in group names

* In the 1970s there was a musical group named

The James Gang James Gang is an American rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966. The band went through a variety of line-up changes until they recorded their first album as a power trio consisting of Joe Walsh (guitars, lead vocals), Tom Kriss (bass), and ...

** From 1968 to 1971 rock guitarist

Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has been a member of three successful rock bands: the James Gang, Eagles, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr B ...

, who later joined the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

, played in the band whose hits included "Funk #49" and "Walk Away."

Mentions in lyrics

* Sleeze Beez song "Heroes Die Young" mentions Jesse James *

George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. In the 1980s, he was credited for ...

states "Sometimes I feel like Jesse James / Still trying to make a name" in the chorus of his 2008 hit "

Troubadour (song) "Troubadour" is a song written by Leslie Satcher and Monty Holmes, and recorded by American country music singer George Strait. It was released in June 2008 as the second single and title track from his album ''Troubadour''. The song was the 86t ...

". * Joe Scruggs mentions in his rendition of Aunt Lucy that she had a baby named Jesse James *

Toby Keith Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961), known professionally as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He released his first four studio albums—1993's ''Toby Keith'', 1994's ''Boomtown'', 1996' ...

states "Running wild through the hills chasing Jesse James Ending up on the brink of danger" in Should've been a Cowboy. *

Swollen Members Swollen Members is a Canadian hip hop group from Vancouver, British Columbia, consisting mainly of Madchild and Prevail. Frequent collaborators include vocalist Moka Only (who was actually a member of the group for a short period of time in the ...

mentioned Mr. James in their song, "Sinister", when

Mad Child Shane Bunting (born October 21, 1975), better known by his stage name Madchild, is a Canadian rapper. He is part of the Vancouver-based hip hop group Swollen Members. In 2009, he released a solo Extended play, EP titled ''The Madchild EP''. In ...

says "Hang the hang man. Jesse James gang" *

Synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

band

The Magnetic Fields The Magnetic Fields (named after the André Breton/Philippe Soupault novel ''Les Champs Magnétiques'') are an American Band (rock and pop), band founded and led by Stephin Merritt. Merritt is the group's primary songwriter, producer, and vocali ...

mentions Jesse in the first verse of "Two Characters in Search of a Country Song," from their 1994 album ''

The Charm of the Highway Strip ''The Charm of the Highway Strip'' is the third studio album by American indie pop band The Magnetic Fields, released in 1994. It was the fourth Magnetic Fields album to be recorded, but was released five months prior to their intended third alb ...

'' ("You were Jesse James, I was

William Tell William Tell (german: Wilhelm Tell, ; french: Guillaume Tell; it, Guglielmo Tell; rm, Guglielm Tell) is a folk hero of Switzerland. According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albr ...

/ You were

Daniel Webster Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison, ...

, I was the

Devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of t ...

Himself"). *

The Sugarhill Gang The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop trio. Their 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980. This was the trio's only ...

reference Jesse James in their song, "

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

" with the lyrics "My tribe went down in the Hall of Fame/'Cause I'm the one who shot Jesse James". * A little known

Jerry Reed Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008) was an American singer, guitarist, composer, and songwriter as well as an actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included " Guitar Man", " U.S. Male", "A Thi ...

song called "The Legend", found on the ''

Smokey and the Bandit ''Smokey and the Bandit'' is a 1977 American road action comedy film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams and Mike Henry. The directorial debut of stuntman Hal Needham, the film follows ...

'' soundtrack, opens with the lyric "You heard about the Legend of Jesse James and John Henry just to mention some names/But there's a truck drivin' legend in the south today/a man called Bandit from Atlanta GA." *

Everlast Erik Francis Schrody (born August 18, 1969), known by his stage name Everlast, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter, who was the frontman for hip hop group House of Pain. He was also part of the hip hop supergroup La Coka ...

, in their 1998 song "Ends," from the album ''Whitey Ford Sings the Blues'', contains the lyrics "And all of a sudden he's like Jesse James, trying to stick up kids for their watches and chains." *

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a s ...

and

, in the song "Belle Starr" from their 2006 album ''All the Roadrunning'', have the line "I can be your Belle Starr and you can be my Jesse James" in the chorus. * "A Train Robbery" by

, (with the chorus, "We will burn this train to cinders, so throw that money on down,") appears on the 1999 re-release of The Legend of Jesse James.

included a new version on his 2007 album

Dirt Farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mig ...

. *

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, in his song "Outlaw Blues" from his 1965 album ''

Bringing It All Back Home ''Bringing It All Back Home'' (known as ''Subterranean Homesick Blues'' in some European countries; sometimes also spelled ''Bringin' It All Back Home'') is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released in Apri ...

'', defends his decision to "go electric" with the line "Ain't gonna hang no picture, ain't gonna hang no picture frame/Well, I might look like Robert Ford, but I feel just like a Jesse James." * The

Hal Bynum Harold L. Bynum (September 29, 1934 – June 2, 2022) was an American songwriter associated with the Outlaw country movement in the 1970s. Bynum wrote more than 200 songs for popular country artists, including Kenny Rogers (" Lucille"), Patty L ...

/Dave Kirby song (made popular by Cash and

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

) "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" declares "I ain't cut out to be no Jesse James." *

GWAR Gwar, often stylized as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. After th ...

mentions Jesse James in their song "Bad Bad Men". * The

Lead Belly Huddie William Ledbetter (; January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk music, folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, Virtuoso, virtuosity on the twelve-string guita ...

song, "Out on the Western Plains", contains the lyrics "When me and a bunch of cowboys run into Jesse James / The bullets was a-fallin' just like a shower rain".

Rory Gallagher William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...

sings a version of the song on his 1975 album ''Against the Grain''; it was also covered by

Alvin Youngblood Hart Alvin Youngblood Hart (born Gregory Edward Hart; March 2, 1963) is an American musician. Career Hart was born in Oakland, California, and spent some time in Carroll County, Mississippi, in his youth, where he was influenced by the Mississippi ...

on his 1996 debut album ''Big Mama's Door''. * The opening track on the album ''Home Sweet Home'' by South Memphis String Band (which features band members

, Luther Dickinson and Jimbo Mathius) is entitled "Jesse James." *

Reggie and the Full Effect Reggie and the Full Effect is an American rock band, the solo project of James Dewees, the former keyboardist for The Get Up Kids. It has released seven full-length albums, the latest in 2018, and has toured with various associated acts in their pr ...

mention James in the song "G" on their album '' Last Stop: Crappy Town''. During a verse in which the singer's psychologist raves about a daylight bank robbery, he responds by saying, "He doesn't even realize that Jesse James did that shit in motherfucking Liberty." *

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

had a hit in 1989 with her song "

Just Like Jesse James "Just Like Jesse James" is a song recorded by American singer and actress Cher for her nineteenth album '' Heart of Stone'' (1989). It was released as the third North American and second European single in October 1989, by Geffen Records. The so ...

". "Tonight you're gonna go down in flames Just like Jesse James/I'm gonna shoot you down Jesse James" *

Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...

, from the album ''

Loud 'n' Proud ''Loud 'n' Proud'' is the fourth studio album by the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth, and their second to be released in 1973. It is the first of two albums the band released to reach #1 in the Austrian charts. Track listing 1996 Castle C ...

'' in the song "Not Faking It" "Jesse James was a born killer/Me, I'm just a rock'n'roll singer" *

Laurel Aitken Lorenzo "Laurel" Aitken (22 April 1927 – 17 July 2005) was an influential Caribbean singer and one of the pioneers of Jamaican ska music. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of Ska". Career Born in Cuba of mixed Cuban and Jamaican desc ...

recorded "Jesse James" in 1969. "Jesse James rides again/Don't call me Billy the Kid, call me James, Jesse James" *

Hank Williams, Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...

's 1983 album '' Strong Stuff'' has the song "Whole Lot of Hank," part of which indulges outlaw mythology with the lyrics, "Frank and Jesse James knowed how to rob them trains / They always took it from the rich and gave it to the poor, they might have had a bad name but they sure had a heart of gold." Also Hank's 1979 album ''

Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound ''Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound'' is the thirtieth studio album by American country music artist Hank Williams Jr. and his fourth on the Elektra/Curb labels. The full-length album was Williams' second of 1979, with '' Family Tradition'' released in ...

'' has the song "Old Nashville Cowboys" which features the words "Where are the cowboys and the home on the range / Does anyone know they've killed Jesse James". *

Johnny "Guitar" Watson John Watson Jr. (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996), known professionally as Johnny "Guitar" Watson, was an American musician and singer-songwriter. A flamboyant showman and electric guitarist in the style of T-Bone Walker, his recording career ...

wrote a song called "

Gangster of Love "Gangster of Love" is a blues song recorded by Johnny "Guitar" Watson in 1957. When he re-recorded the song in 1978, it became a hit. It is perhaps Watson's best known song and several artists have recorded interpretations. Original song John ...

". "Well, there's Frank James and Jesse James/Billy the Kid and all the rest" *

Brazzaville Brazzaville (, kg, Kintamo, Nkuna, Kintambo, Ntamo, Mavula, Tandala, Mfwa, Mfua; Teke: ''M'fa'', ''Mfaa'', ''Mfa'', ''Mfoa''Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CLI ...

have a song on 2006 album '' East L.A. Breeze'' called "Jesse James". "When he was runnin’ from the cops/He said ... I don't wanna live your life/I wanna die like Jesse James" *

Snap! Snap! is a German Eurodance group formed in 1989 by Record producer, producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti. The act has been through a number of line-up changes over the years, including American singers, songwriters and rappers Thea A ...

in its hit " The Power" sings "I'm the lyrical Jesse James". "Maniac brainiac winning the game/I’m the lyrical Jesse James" *

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...

wrote a song titled "I'm Bad like Jesse James". "'Cause I'm mad, I'm bad, like Jesse James" * Michael Martin Murphy recorded "Frank James' Farewell" with the lyric "Tonight I can hear Jesse calling, and tonight we will ride once again". *Ry Cooder did a cover of the classic version of "Dirty Little Coward Who Shot Mr. Howard" using slide guitar on one of his early albums. *

Lil' Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...

in the song Right Above It ft

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

"And you niggas know I rep my game like Jesse James" *Granger Smith mentions "Like and outlaw on the run, my guitar for a gun, if only he was here today, what would jesse james say" *

Jamie T Jamie Alexander Treays (born 8 January 1986), better known by his stage name Jamie T, is an English singer, songwriter, rapper, guitarist and record producer from Wimbledon, South London. Jamie T released his debut album, '' Panic Prevention'' ...

's "Love Is Only A Heartbeat Away", in the album Carry on the Grudge, opens with the lyrics "So roll, roll down, rob a railroad train/Love like Robert Ford did Jessie James/Heart full of love but I'm only here to kill her". *

Killer Mike Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, actor, and activist. Mike made his debut on Outkast's 2000 LP ''Stankonia'', and later appeared on their Grammy-winning single " ...

in the

Run the Jewels Run the Jewels, also known by the initials RTJ, is an American hip hop super-duo composed of Brooklyn-based rapper and producer El-P and Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike. They released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut studio album ...

' song "Call Ticketron" raps, "Hello everybody, this is now bank robbery/ Jesse James gang, we'll walk you through the process".

Robert Ford in music

Robert Newton "Bob" Ford, who gained fame by killing Jesse James in 1882, is also depicted in these songs. *In the

song "Outlaw Blues", Dylan alludes to Ford with the lines, "I ain't gonna hang no picture/Ain't gonna hang no picture frame/Well I might look like a Robert Ford/But I feel just like a Jesse James." *In 1975

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

had a minor hit with the song "

I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford) "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" is a song by English musician Elton John written by John and Bernie Taupin, released in 1976 as a double A-side single with " Grow Some Funk of Your Own" from his tenth studio album '' Rock of t ...

" refers to a betrayal in a romantic relationship that is metaphorically likened to Jesse James' assassin. *In the

song "Frank and Jesse James," Ford is mentioned in the lyrics "Robert Ford, a gunman/In exchange for his parole/Took the life of James the outlaw/Which he snuck up on and stole." *

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...

, on their 1998 album Snake Bite Love, mention James and Robert Ford in the song "Desperate For You." ("I'm gonna be an outlaw, just like Jesse James; rob all of your banks, and the occasional train / And if Bobby Ford should shoot me, I know just what you'd do / That's why I'm a desperado, desperate for you.")

References

{{Jesse James American folk music Works about Jesse James