Duncan and Brady

Duncan and Brady  (1929)  Traditional

sister projects: Wikipedia article. "Duncan and Brady" is an early 20th century ballad originating from a shooting in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1880. It was first recorded by Wilmer Watts and his Lonely Eagles in 1929.

Twinkle, twinkle like this star.
Yonder goes Brady on a 'lectric car.
Makin' his way to the freedom land.
He's gonna kill him a sucker like a bullnose man.
Been on the job too long

Brady was a worker on the telephone wire.
'Long come Duncan with a shinin' star.
Looked ol' Brady right through the specs
He says, "There's no use in talkin', Brady, get your check."
Been on the job too long

Brady replied and he answered, "No."
Duncan showed him a sight that was never before.
Says, "Now, Brady, you are running your risk."
Oh, Duncan shot a hole through Brady's chest
Been on the job too long

Brady had a little .25.
Kill a man about a half a mile.
Duncan had a big .44.
Well, he laid old Brady in the barroom floor.
'Cause he'd been on the job too long

Early in the morning, just about nine
Horses [and their hacks all pullin' the] line
White and the black all gathered around.
They're gonna take Mr. Brady to the buryin' ground.
Been on the job too long

Brady went to hell with a crutch under his arm.
Says, "Mr Devil, well I ain't here long."
Devil says, "Brady, just this-a way.
Well, there's never been a sucker here that ever got away."
Been on the job too long

Brady had a little .25.
Kill a man about a half a mile.
Duncan had a big .44.
Well, he laid old Brady in the barroom floor.
'Cause he'd been on the job too long

Licensing

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was legally published within the United States (or the United Nations Headquarters in New York subject to Section 7 of the United States Headquarters Agreement) before 1964, and copyright was not renewed. For Class A renewals records (books only) published between 1923 and 1963, check the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Rutgers copyright renewal records. For other renewal records of publications between 1922 - 1950 see the Pennsylvania copyright records scans. For all records since 1978, search the U.S. Copyright Office records. Works published in 1929 would have had to renew their copyright in either 1956 or 1957, i.e. at least 27 years after it was first published / registered but not later than 31 December(31 December) in the 28th year. As it was not renewed, it entered the public domain on 1 January 1958(1 January 1958).