Bandit Cole Younger by Edward L. Crain [Anthology Revisited - Song 15]
TL;DR — A real life cowboy (about whom relatively little is known) sings about a real life bandit who rode with the real life Jesse James. Trend of songs with a person's name in title continues.
Welcome to the fifteenth installment of Anthology Revisited, an ongoing song-by-song analysis of Harry Smith’s legendary Anthology of American Folk Music, released by Folkways Records in 1952 and reissued by Smithsonian Folkways in 1997.
Today, we drop the needle on the opening track from side C of Volume One - Ballads; “Bandit Cole Younger” by Edward L. Crain (The Texas Cowboy) recorded on August 17, 1931 in New York City for Columbia Records.
In this edition, we continue our journey through Volume One - Ballads in a sequence of songs that are taking us through American history as told in song. This journey through the past started with song 12 “Peg and Awl”, a song about changes in the shoemaking industry in the years 1801-1804. From there, we stopped off in 1807 for the murder of “Ommie Wise” before catapulting a few decades ahead to the years after the Civil War and the construction of the railroads with “My Name is John Johanna” to end side B.
When railroads came into operation, American life was transformed. The goods and materials that once took weeks to cross the country via teams of horses and numerous workers could travel more quickly and securely in cars towed by locomotives. Plus, travelers with means could avoid the perils of the highway and ride in the comfort of railroad cars. As with all technological innovations, folks who made their living off of the old ways of doing things had to adapt, and find new work to keep up with changing times, so the highway bandits who’d been robbing stagecoaches upgraded their skills and took to robbing trains.
It’s during this period that today’s song, the tale of Bandit Cole Younger, takes place. To add a layer of authenticity to the mix, this song about an outlaw is performed by a bona fide Texas cowboy, Edward L. Crain. We’ll discuss Younger’s experience as a bushwhacker, highwayman, and outlaw shortly, but first, let’s take a look at Harry Smith’s headline for this song, “Bandit Cole Younger” by Edward L. Crain.
BANK ROBBER VOICES REGRET FOR ASSOCIATION WITH JAMES BOYS IN NORTHFIELD FIASCO
Volume One - Ballads has the best headlines, hands down. Like our previous track, “My Name is John Johanna”, Smith ignores the setup and conclusion and goes right to the heart of the song. There is more to the song, but in essence, the headline above captures the core of the song, and there’s little I could add here that won’t be revealed when you listen to the song and check out the lyrics.
So let’s get to it. Here’s “Bandit Cole Younger” as performed by Edward L. Crain (The Texas Cowboy) on August 17, 1931 in the New York City studios of Columbia Records.
Lyrics
I am a noted highwayman, Cole Younger is my name;
with deeds and desperation that brought my name to shame.
Robbing of the Northfield bank is a thing I'll never deny,
But which I will be sorry of until the day I die.We started for old Texas, that grand old Lone Star State;
'Twas there on Nebraska prairies the James Boys we did meet.
With knives, gun, and revolvers, we all sit down to play
A game of good old poker to pass the time away.Across the 'Braska prairies a Denver train we spy.
I says to Bob, "We'll rob her as she goes rolling by."
We saddled up our horses, northwestward we did go,
To the godforsaken country called Minnie-soh-tee-oh.I had my eye on the Northfield bank when brother Bob did say,
"Cole, if you under-to-take the job, you'll always curse the day."
We stationed out our pickets, up to the bank did go,
'Twas there upon the counter, boys, we struck our fatal blow.Saying, "Hand us out your money, sir, and make no long delay.
We are the noted Younger boys, and spend no time in play."
The cashier, being as true as steel, refused our noted band.
'Twas Jesse James that pulled the trigger that killed this noble man.We run for life, for death was near, four hundred on our trail.
We soon was overtaken and landed safe in jail.
'Twas there in the Stillwater jail we lay, a-wearing our lives away.
Two James boys left to tell the tale of the sad and fateful day.
The Song
Unlike John Johanna, the title character of our previous song, Cole Younger was a real person who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and this song is based upon his experiences. Though the song is written from Younger’s point of view, it wasn’t written by Younger himself, but is believed to have originated as a poem published in a newspaper after Younger’s release from prison.
I’ll break down the events of the song, introduce and briefly discuss a variant of the text, and then we’ll get into the real story behind Bandit Cole Younger.
The Story (as told by the song)
We begin with an introduction of our titular character, and a mention that the Northfield Bank robbery was a rueful moment in Younger’s life. This is all accurate information, including the fact that Younger regretted his decision.
The next two verses paint a disjointed picture of how the James-Younger Gang decided to go to Northfield. According to the song, while en route to Texas, Younger and his companions met the James brothers. They were playing cards with the James brothers in Nebraska, when Cole suggested to Bob (his brother) that they rob a passing train. At which point, they get on their horses and head for Minnesota, despite Bob Younger’s warning that it might not be such a bright idea.
After they arrived in Northfield, things didn’t go as planned. The gang members took to their stations and set to robbing the bank but hit a snag. The cashier wouldn’t part with the money, and was slain by Jesse James. The commotion roused the townsfolk, who set out after the bank robbers. The James-Younger gang fled town, chased by 400 people. The Youngers were caught, and sent to prison in Stillwater, while the James boys escaped and were “left to tell the tale of the sad and fateful day”.
A Break with Reality
There’s a disconnect here that we’ll have to chalk up to artistic license. The two verses between the introduction and the bank robbery don’t tell the most accurate (or cohesive) of tales.
There’s never any indication as to why they were headed south towards Texas in the first place. Apart from a passing train, there’s nothing to explain why they decided to change course and go north instead of south, and no clue as to why they chose Minnesota in particular. But, as previous articles in this series have discussed, these songs aren’t required to align with reality. In this case, that’s a very good thing, because no amount of shoehorning or pretzel logic can make the facts align with the narrative in these two verses.
The reality goes something like this. The James-Younger Gang was in Texas in 1874, where they robbed a stagecoach between Austin and San Antonio. After that, we have confirmed train robberies in Kansas and Missouri, but as the table below demonstrates, there’s no way to force the events of the second and third verses to match up with reality.
The above table is an abbreviated list of the James-Younger Gang’s confirmed robberies from 1874-1876. A full list of the gang’s activities, and much more information, can be found on the James-Younger Gang page at Legends of America.
Although the second and third verses confuse the geography and history a little bit, the final three verses on Crain’s recording are pretty straightforward and hew more closely to reality. The fourth verse describes Cole Younger’s desire to rob the Northfield bank, Bob Younger’s warnings against the heist, the gang’s arrival in Northfield, and preparation for the robbery. In verse five, we have the attempted bank robbery which ends with Jesse James murdering the cashier. The sixth and final verse wraps up the tale, and tells us that the Youngers were captured and landed in Stillwater jail, while the James boys got away.
The Variant
Another version of the song appeared in Alan Lomax’s book Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads, and is quite similar to the version performed by Crain. The variant gives a few more details than Crain’s recording, but does nothing to make the events of the song align with the facts above.
After the variant’s introductory verse, which is basically the same as Crain’s, things start to diverge a bit. The biggest differences are that this version begins with the robbery of a miner from California, then includes a verse where brother Bob suggests they purchase new horses, avenge the death of their father, and resume fighting the anti-guerrillas.
From there, the story picks up with the brothers heading to Texas and encountering the James brothers. The train robbery to which Crain hinted is explained here in greater detail. After the train robbery, they head to Northfield, Minnesota where, in this version, Cole Younger, not Jesse James, kills the bank clerk. But again, nothing in this variant makes the story come any closer to the actual timeline of events.
COLE YOUNGER
I am one of a band of highwaymen, Cole Younger is my name;
My crimes and depredations have brought my friends to shame;
The robbing of the Northfield Bank, the same I can't deny,
For now I am a prisoner, in the Stillwater jail I lie.'Tis of a bold, high robbery, a story to you I'll tell,
Of a California miner who unto us befell;
We robbed him of his money and bid him go his way,
For which I will be sorry until my dying day.And then we started homeward, when brother Bob did say:
"Now, Cole, we will buy fast horses and on them ride away.
We will ride to avenge our father's death and try to win the prize;
We will fight those anti-guerrillas until the day we die.”And then we rode towards Texas, that good old Lone Star State,
But on Nebraska's prairies the James boys we did meet;
With knives, guns, and revolvers we all sat down to play,
A-drinking of good whiskey to pass the time away.A Union Pacific railway train was the next we did surprise,
And the crimes done by our bloody hands bring tears into my eyes.
The engineerman and fireman killed, the conductor escaped alive,
And now their bones lie mouldering beneath Nebraska's skies.Then we saddled horses, northwestward we did go,
To the God-forsaken country called Min-ne-so-te-o;
I had my eye on the Northfield bank when brother Bob did say,
"Now, Cole, if you undertake the job, you will surely curse the day."But I stationed out my pickets and up to the bank did go,
And there upon the counter I struck my fatal blow.
"Just hand us over your money and make no further delay,
We are the famous Younger brothers, we spare no time to pray."
Cole Younger - The Man, The Myth, The Legend
Alright, with two versions of the tale examined, let’s discuss the real Cole Younger. In his liner notes, just after the headline, Harry Smith included the following information:
“Cole Younger was a Missourian who rode with Quantrell’s [sic] Guerrillas and became a captain in Shelby’s Missouri Cavalry toward the end of the Civil War. He and his brothers turned outlaw, and robbed trains and banks with the James Boys. Captured while trying to loot a bank in Northfield, Minnesota, in 1876, Cole was sent to prison for murder. He was pardoned in 1901.”
Sadly, Smith’s telling of Younger’s tale is a bit loose with the facts. Quantrell’s [sic] Guerrillas were actually Quantrill’s Raiders, and I found no source to confirm Smith’s claim that Younger served as a captain in Shelby’s Missouri Cavalry.
The (Actual) Adventures of Cole Younger
During the Civil War, Missourian Cole Younger was a member of Quantrill’s Raiders, a guerrilla group that fought on the side of the Confederates. Though the group was loosely affiliated with the Confederate Army during part of the Civil War, these raiders, also called “bushwhackers”, typically took on Union forces in their own ways, such as ambushing patrols and supply convoys, seizing the mail, among other disruptive activities. The raiders’ targets were not exclusively military, and often included pro-Union citizens in areas around the Kansas-Missouri border. For example, in an August 21, 1863 raid on Lawrence, Kansas, Quantrill’s Raiders (with Younger in their ranks) robbed and burned the town, killing around 200 citizens in the process.
Younger joined the Confederate Army at some point during the war and has stated he worked in California on a recruiting mission, but we have no evidence that he rode with Shelby’s Missouri Cavalry.
After the war, Younger returned to Missouri to find that Unionist radicals had taken control of the state government, ratified a new state constitution that freed slaves (prior to the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution), and barred Confederate sympathizers from voting, holding public office, serving on juries, and participating in other parts of civic life.
Although the exact timing of events is uncertain, after the Civil War, Cole Younger and his brothers (Jim, John, and Bob) who were also bushwhackers in the War, teamed up with a gang of outlaws originally led by Archie Clement.
Archie Clement was an ex-Confederate who coordinated the first peacetime daylight bank robbery in US history. On February 13, 1866, Clement and his gang held up the Clay County (Missouri) Savings Association. From there, Clement’s gang went on a string of bank robberies. On election day 1866, Clement and his men were intimidating voters at polling places in Lexington, Missouri. A state militia was sent into town, and Clement was killed after resisting arrest.
After Clement’s death, his gang carried on, and the first concrete evidence we have of the Youngers’ association with Clement’s gang comes from 1868, when Cole Younger was identified as one of the men who robbed Nimrod Long & Company, a Russellville, Kentucky bank. In the aftermath of this robbery, several members of the gang were arrested or killed, and others decided to quit the outlaw business altogether. This left the Younger Brothers and the James Brothers (Frank and Jesse) at the core of the gang, and they became known (in the eyes of the law and the Pinkertons), as the James-Younger Gang.
Over the next few years, Cole Younger (or someone fitting his description) was involved in numerous robberies of banks and stagecoaches in Missouri and Kentucky. On July 21, 1873, the James-Younger Gang pulled off their first train robbery, derailing a locomotive on the Rock Island Railroad in Adair, Iowa.
After the gang robbed the Iron Mountain Railroad in Gad’s Hill Missouri in 1874, the Pinkerton Agency got involved, and began to pursue the James-Younger gang. On March 17, 1874, Pinkerton agents killed two members of the gang, (including Cole Younger’s brother, John) in a gunfight.
The Northfield Incident
As mentioned in the song, things went sideways for Cole Younger when the gang tried to rob a bank in Northfield, Minnesota on September 7, 1876. On that date, eight members of the James-Younger Gang visited Northfield with the intention of robbing the bank. Three gang members (likely including Jesse James) entered the bank while the other five (including Cole Younger) stood outside to provide cover.
Things went south when Joseph Heywood, the cashier at the bank, refused to comply with the robbers’ demands. The townspeople quickly realized what was happening, and took up arms. Heywood and another Northfield resident were killed, and the gang fled the bank empty handed.
The bandits tried to escape town with the townsfolk of Northfield in hot pursuit. The townspeople killed two gang members, and badly wounded Cole Younger’s brother Bob. The remaining gang members dispersed. The James brothers returned to Missouri, but the Younger brothers and Charlie Pitts (another member of the gang) were in a shootout with a local posse near Madelia, Minnesota, some 85 miles away from Northfield. Pitts died in the shootout, and the Younger brothers (Cole, Bob, and Jim) were captured.
The Younger brothers pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. On November 18, 1876, the three brothers were sentenced to serve life in the Minnesota Territorial Prison in Stillwater, Minnesota .
The James brothers escaped the scene in Northfield, and laid low for a while, returning to their criminal ways in 1879. In 1882, Jesse James was killed in Saint Joseph Missouri, and Frank James surrendered himself to the governor of Missouri later that year.
Bob Younger died of tuberculosis in 1889 while in prison. Cole Younger was a model prisoner, and with the help of the warden, Cole and Jim Younger were paroled on July 10, 1901. Jim committed suicide in St. Paul, Minnesota (about 20 miles away from Stillwater Prison) in 1902.
Cole Younger wrote a memoir, and in 1903, joined forces with Frank James once again. This time, rather than robbing banks, the pair toured the south in a wild west show called “The Cole Younger and Frank James Wild West Company”.
The Cole Younger and Frank James Wild West Company
Word hit the streets in February 1903 that James and Younger were entering the entertainment business together. Frank James confirmed this, saying that he and Younger purchased an interest in “Buckskin Bill’s Wild West Show” from the show’s owners Val Hoffman and H.E. Allott. James further indicated that he would act in the show, but in the role of a hero, not an outlaw. He also stated that Hoffman retained some ownership of the show, and that Allott would stay on as the show’s general manager.
On the same day that James shared this information, Cole Younger was asked about the transaction and reported that he had purchased an interest in the show, but that James was not a part owner, and instead on salary as the arena manager. Younger, who was not permitted to perform due to the conditions of his parole preventing him from putting himself on exhibition, said he’d serve as the treasurer and help manage the show, but not appear as part of the show.
Frank James, upon being told of Younger’s responses, insisted that he was indeed part-owner of the enterprise and produced a legal document to support his claims. Apparently, James had some additional dealings with the previous owners after Younger thought the deal was closed, and had the paperwork to prove it.
When the show hit the road in May of 1903, it was met with “good crowds of the morbidly curious” in the west, but failed miserably in the eastern US and quickly headed back west. Later that year, with the show making no money, Younger and James filed suit against Hoffman for “failing to properly equip the show” and “refusing to drive away grifters and other riffraff”. Hoffman filed a countersuit against Younger for embezzlement. This suit was deemed groundless and dismissed. Frank James and Cole Younger cut ties with the wild west show after less than one year in business.
In 1912, Younger converted to Christianity, repented of his sins, and was baptized in 1913. Cole Younger died on March 21, 1916, and is buried in Lee’s Summit Historical Cemetery, in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cole_Younger#/media/File%3AColeYoungerGrave060706a.jpg
The Performance
I watched a lot of cowboy movies as a kid, and to my ear, this performance is akin to countless movie scenes of cowboys strumming guitar and singing ballads beneath the stars.
While the recording isn’t too far afield from those old cowboy movies, the setting for the performance is a recording studio instead of the open range, and the cowboy singing the outlaw ballad is an authentic cowboy and not some movie actor.
Crain’s guitar work isn’t mind-blowing, but he lays down a solid rhythm and tosses in a few well-executed runs and licks to spice up the sound. Crain fully inhabits the role of Cole Younger, and delivers a believable reading of the song, sounding as if he truly feels a degree of Younger’s remorse.
The Performer
There’s a little bit of confusion about Ed Crain, which I’m hoping to clear up here. Crain’s recording career took place entirely in 1931 (contrary to some Internet sources). While plenty of questions remain about Crain’s life, we have enough information to provide a rough sketch.
Edward L. Crain: The Early Years (1903-1930)
Edward Leroy Crain was born in Stephenville, Texas on December 27, 1903. He was raised on a ranch near Longview. On the ranch, Crain learned to play guitar, fiddle, and mandolin while working as a tailor on the ranch, and assisting with cattle drives. Unfortunately, Crain suffered from asthma, and all that dust being kicked up by the cattle did him no favors.
In an interview with Crain conducted by Mark Wilson for Old-Time Herald, Crain stated he was in the studio in San Antonio when Jimmie Rodgers recorded “T.B. Blues” on January 31, 1931 (a session supervised by Ralph Peer in which Rodgers did 3 takes of “T.B. Blues”, 3 takes of “Travellin’ [sic] Blues”, and 3 takes of “Jimmie, the Kid”). Regarding the session, Crain noted that “Jimmie was so short of breath that he would collapse onto a sofa for half an hour after each number.’
It’s accepted as fact that Rodgers recommended that Crain try to record some of his cowboy songs, and it seems that Rodgers gave him this guidance during January 1931. Crain took Rodgers’ advice and ran with it. Later that year, Edward Crain went to New York City, and shopped himself around to labels, securing recording sessions with three different labels in three different months in 1931 (ARC in July, Columbia in August, and Crown in either October or November).
Making Records in New York City, 1931
Crain’s entry on the Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) indicates that his recording career lasted for two sessions in 1931, but when searching YouTube for links to include below, I noticed additional recordings attributed to Crain, and checked Discogs and saw a more complete listing of Crain’s full discography. From there, I checked the Crown Records Discography to see what it had to say. Finally, I went to Tony Russell’s book Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, where I was able to firm up a few details. Crain’s full discography is below, with links to available recordings.
Crain’s first recording was in a test session for the American Record Corporation (ARC), on July 17, 1931, when he recorded a version of “The Old Gray Haired Man” that went unreleased,
On July 23, 1931, he returned to the ARC studios where he recorded six sides, three of which were released, all under pseudonyms.
The Old Gray Haired Man (Unissued)
Bandit Cole Younger (This is not the same recording that appears on the Anthology. This recording was released on the Broadway label credited to “Cowboy Carson”, and on the Conqueror label credited to “Cowboy Ed Crane”. Note, the quality of audio in this recording is awful, but it’s the only version of this recording I can find.)
Little Blossom - Part 1 (Unissued)
Little Blossom - Part 2 (Unissued)
Starving to Death on a Government Claim (released on Broadway credited to “Cowboy Carson”, and credited to “Cowboy Ed Crane” on Conqueror.)
Cowboy’s Home Sweet Home (released on Conqueror credited to “Cowboy Ed Crane”)
The following day, July 24, 1931, he cut two more sides at the ARC studios.
Arkansas Wanderer (released on the Conqueror label credited to “Cowboy Ed Crane”)
Boys in Blue (Unissued)
On August 17, 1931, exactly one month after his test session with ARC, Crain had a session with Columbia records in New York City, where he recorded 6 sides, two of which were issued, credited to “Edward L. Crain (The Texas Cowboy)”.
Little Blossom - Part 1 (Unissued)
Little Blossom - Part 2 (Unissued)
Bandit Cole Younger (This recording appears on Harry Smith’s Anthology.)
Starving to Death on a Government Claim (Unissued)
The Grey-Haired Old Man (Unissued)
The dates of Crain’s final session(s) are unclear. Varying sources have the recordings taking place in October or November 1931, but the exact date(s) of recording are unknown. During the session(s), Crain recorded 8 sides for Crown Records, a budget label that existed from 1930 to 1933.
These sides were released on multiple labels, with Crain bearing various pseudonyms. On the Crown and Homestead labels, he was billed as “(Edward L. Crain) The Texas Cowboy”. On the Montgomery Ward label, he was “Bob Star (The Texas Ranger)”, and on Varsity Records, Crain was “Cowboy Rodgers”. The three songs marked with an asterisk (*) below, are alleged to feature Crain on harmonica, but sadly, digital copies of these recordings are not available at the time of this writing.
Cowboy’s Home Sweet Home*
God Pity the Life of a Cowboy*
Bury Me Out on the Lone Prairie
Whoopee Ti Yi Yo, Git Along Little Dogies
Twenty-One Years*
Poor Boy
None of the three labels on which Crain recorded called him back for further sessions, and I suspect the economic conditions of the era were to blame. When Crain made his recordings in 1931, the Great Depression was wreaking havoc on the global economy, and things were getting worse with each passing week. By the time 1932 rolled around, most folks didn’t have any money to spend on records, and the record labels didn’t make as many records, thus, fewer musicians were making records. Would a label have called Crain back had it not been for the Great Depression? Perhaps. Given Crain’s experience as a real life cowboy, I suspect that some label would’ve tried to cash in on Crain’s authenticity had the economic climate been more favorable.
Outside of his recording activity in 1931, Crain toured in Texas and played on radio programs out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It’s said that he promoted a cleaning business that he managed when he played on the afternoon radio show, but sources don’t provide details on the exact years of these events. Based on Crain’s confirmed locations, I suspect these events took place during the late 1920’s or early 1930’s, but I cannot confirm this.
Life Beyond Music
We don’t have any information on where Crain lived for a good chunk of his life. After his birth in Stephenville, it’s said that he was raised in Longview, Texas. How and when Crain went from Stephenville to Longview is unknown, and there are no Census records with which I can conclusively associate Edward L. Crain until 1940.
From a genealogical perspective, the first piece of evidence we have of Crain’s life comes from marriage records which show that on December 1, 1934, he married Ruth Evelyn George in Gregg County, Texas. According to the 1940 US Census, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Crain lived in Longview, Texas (in Gregg County) in 1935.
Some time between 1935 and 1940, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Crain moved about 200 miles south to the town of Daisetta, in Liberty County, Texas. In Daisetta, Ed worked for the Republic Oil Company as a driller’s helper. On his World War II draft card, completed on February 16, 1942, Crain is listed as 5’8” tall, 165 lbs with grey eyes and grey hair. (This draft card was how I learned he was born in Stephenville, TX)
Northwestern Migration
Even when one isn’t working with cattle, working outdoors in Texas will make any asthmatic uncomfortable. Over time, Crain’s asthma worsened, progressing towards emphysema, and while we don’t know exactly when this happened, Ed Crain and his wife Ruth relocated to Oregon no later than 1949.
The 1950 US Census shows that the Crains owned a farm on Wagner Creek Road outside the town of Talent in Jackson County, Oregon, where they had lived for at least a year at the time of the Census. Crain was a self-employed farmer with at least one cow and at least three acres of land. Ed’s mother-in-law Mary George also lived with them.
Edward Crain remained in Jackson County, Oregon until he died on March 15, 1975. He was buried in the Hillcrest Memorial Park in Medford, Oregon.
Inaccurate Alleged Activities
NOTE: This entire subsection will hopefully be deleted from this article in short order. I’ve never edited a Wikipedia entry, but I suppose it’s time to learn how. I’ve never submitted a correction to AllMusic either, so I’ll need to figure that out as well. But until these records are updated, this section (and this introductory text) will remain in place.
Beyond the information shared above, I found no further evidence of Crain's activity between 1950 and 1975. Crain’s Wikipedia entry inaccurately states that Crain recorded another version of “Bandit Cole Younger” in the 1970’s, citing AllMusic as its source. The AllMusic entry which served as a source for the Wikipedia article ends with the following sentence.
He made a return to recording late in life, releasing another version of "Bandit Cole Younger" for the American Record Corporation in 1970, while he was living in Oregon.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/edward-l-crain-mn0000175050#biography
This statement is inaccurate. Crain recorded with the American Record Corporation (ARC) in 1931. ARC was purchased by Columbia in 1939, and ceased to exist at that time. The ARC label did not exist in 1970. The ARC imprint was briefly revived as a vanity label on Columbia from 1978-1982, after Edward L. Crain’s death.
Here’s what I think happened. The statement on AllMusic seems to be a misinterpretation of Jeff Place’s notes in A Booklet of Essays, Appreciations, and Annotations Pertaining to the Anthology of American Folk Music, which was included in the 1997 reissue of the Anthology of American Folk Music.
Here’s the text from the 1997 reissue.
Crain recorded this song twice in 1931, once for Columbia and once for the American Record Corporation. He was living in Oregon in 1970.
My belief is that the text on AllMusic comes from a misreading of these notes. I will contact AllMusic and Wikipedia to correct these issues. This may take time, as both processes are new to me.
Connections
The main theme as we start side C is the timeline of songs. The theme started on track 12, “Peg and Awl” (set between 1801 and 1804), then continued through “Ommie Wise”, (which occurred in 1807), on to our previous song “My Name is John Johanna”, which didn’t occur in a specific year, but would have happened in or around the 1870’s. In “Bandit Cole Younger”, the robbery of the Northfield Bank, a pivotal moment in this song, occurred on September 7, 1876.
For our purposes, I think it’s sufficient to place “My Name is John Johanna” as occurring at some point in time before 1876. This isn’t precise, but it keeps the theme intact. If you really want to split hairs, please note that “Bandit Cole Younger” covers more than just one event, and one can rectify the timeline by saying that both songs take place in the 1870’s, but that “My Name is John Johanna” was put first in the sequence because it so perfectly tied up side B. That would work just as well.
“Bandit Cole Younger” is the third consecutive song to contain a person’s name in the title. It’s our second consecutive song about life on the job (if you count bank robbing as a job).
It’s our second consecutive song to take jabs at a particular state. John Johanna was no fan of Arkansas, and Cole Younger had issues with “the godforsaken country called Minnie-soh-tee-oh.”
Lastly, like the first LP in the collection, the second LP in Volume One - Ballads begins with a vocalist accompanying himself on guitar singing a song with a person’s name in the title. This would seem an innocuous coincidence in most cases, but when it comes to the Anthology of American Folk Music, such “innocuous coincidences” are usually additional threads with which Harry Smith wove this grand tapestry. And it’s in that light that I view this particular connection. Could it be an innocuous coincidence? Sure, but I doubt it.
Other Interpretations
Norman Blake - Bandit Cole Younger - Norman Blake is a National Treasure. He played with Johnny Cash for years, toured with Kris Kristofferson, recorded with Joan Baez, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, and many other musicians. Plus, he’s done a bunch of great stuff on his own. If you’re not familiar with his work, look him up. There is a wealth of material to explore.
Roger Welsch - Cole Younger - oh, the wondrous things one can discover via a simple YouTube search. Roger Welsch and Terry Schmitt were unknown to me, but this fine performance means I need to listen to the rest of this 1965 album now.
Dock Boggs - Cole Younger - Dock Boggs is one of those great old time banjo players, and we’ll be getting into more of his stuff on Volume Three - Songs. This performance contains elements of the variant collected by Lomax, with some variations.
When I was researching this article, I came across the picture below from 1965. It’s Mary Alice Walker and Dock Boggs standing in the Northfield Bank by a plaque commemorating the events of that fateful day in 1876. The plaque reads.
IN THIS ROOM, JOSEPH LEE HEYWOOD, REFUSING TO BETRAY HIS TRUST, WAS SHOT BY BANK ROBBERS, SEPT. 7, 1876. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.
Conclusion
Well folks, we’ve reached the end of the trail in this examination of “Bandit Cole Younger” by Edward L. Crain, the fifteenth song on the Anthology of American Folk Music and the opening song on side C of Volume One - Ballads.
I hope this has been an interesting and enlightening journey for you. I’ve certainly learned a few things along the way while putting this together. For once, I don’t have a whole lot to say in wrapping this up because I think I’ve pretty much said it all at this point. We’re in the heart of a couple of big themes (the timeline of songs and songs with names in the titles), which will reappear in our next installment, “Charles Giteau” by Kelly Harrell and the Virginia String Band.
As always, I must close by stating that I’m building upon the work of many others. If you’d like to learn any more about the James-Younger Gang or Edward L. Crain, the sources I consulted when composing this article are below and should serve as great starting points for your own journeys.
Sources
Edward L. Crain - Discography of American Historical Recordings
https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/104766/Crain_Edward_L
Edward L. Crain - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_L._Crain
Edward L. Crain - FindAGrave
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136652673/edward-leroy-crain
Edward L. Crain - FamilySearch
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/P3QV-BH7
Edward L. Crain - 1940 US Census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K49R-65B?lang=en
Edward Leroy Crain - World War II Draft Registration Card
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL36-KNYM
"Texas, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL36-KNYM : Mon Apr 21 20:42:38 UTC 2025), Entry for Edward Leroy Crain and Edward L Crain, 16 Feb 1942.
Edward L. Crain - 1950 US Census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XV5-S7GB?lang=en
Edward L. Crain - Oregon Death Index 1971-2008
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:CV77-4JW2?lang=en
Edward L. Crain / Ruth Evelyn Crain Marriage 1934
"Texas, Gregg, Marriage Records, 1873-2017", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6JHW-SNL8 : Fri Mar 08 13:16:02 UTC 2024), Entry for Mr E. L. Crain and Miss Ruth Evelyn George, 1 Dec 1934.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6JHW-SNL8?lang=en
Daisetta, TX - Texas State Historical Association
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/daisetta-tx
Daisetta, Texas - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisetta,_Texas
Talent, Oregon - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talent,_Oregon
CROWN Records (1930s) 78rpm Numerical Listing Discography
https://78discography.com/Crown.htm
Edward L. Crain Discography: Vinyl, CDs, & More | Discogs
https://www.discogs.com/artist/908698-Edward-L-Crain
Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942
Russell, Tony;
Pinson, Bob; Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
pp. 229-230
Oxford University Press, 2008
New York, NY
https://archive.org/details/countrymusicreco00russ/page/228/mode/2up?view=theater
Edward L. Crain Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio | Allmusic.com
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/edward-l-crain-mn0000175050#biography
Fragments of Yesterday
Morritt, Robert D.
page 70
Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
https://books.google.com/books?id=m4InBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA70#v=onepage&q&f=false
Jimmie Rodgers - Discography of American Historical Recordings
https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/105649/Rodgers_Jimmie
Victor Matrix BVE-67133 T.B. Blues / Jimmie Rodgers
Discography of American Historical Recordings
https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/800034433/BVE-67133-T._B._blues
Cole Younger - Wikipedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cole_Younger
Quantrill’s Raiders - Wikipedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantrill%27s_Raiders
James-Younger Gang - Wikipedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James%E2%80%93Younger_Gang
Cowboy songs and other frontier ballads, | Library of Congress
Compiled by Alan Lomax
pp106-10
The Macmillan Company 1922
New York City, NY
https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.cowboysongsoth00loma/?sp=3&st=pdf&r=-0.432%2C-0.093%2C1.865%2C1.865%2C0&pdfPage=138
Missouri and Ozarks History: The Cole Younger-Frank James Wild West Show
https://ozarks-history.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-cole-younger-frank-james-wild-west.html
The James Younger Gang - Terror in the Heartland
Legends of the Heartland
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-jamesyoungergang/
Dock Boggs Photo Album
https://web.archive.org/web/20150516024634/https://www.lizlyle.lofgrens.org/BrnSnift/DockBoggs.html
A Booklet of Essays, Appreciations, and Annotations Pertaining to the Anthology of American Folk Music
Smithsonian Folkways Records
Washington, D.C, 1997