By: David Allan Coe and Larry Murray

BETTY DROVE THE SEMI, SHE PULLED UP TO THE PUMP

I THOUGHT I WANTED A COCA-COLA AND I STARTED OUT
ON THE JUMP

SHE SAID, HOLD IT DAVE, COME QUICK, THERE'S
SOMETHING YOU GOT TO SEE

THAT MAN HAD GOT A DANCING BEAR TIED UP TO THAT
OLD TREE

I SAID, DANCE, DANCE, DAKOTA DANCE ALL AROUND THE
COUNTRY STORE

ME AND SWEET BETTY AIN'T NEVER SEEN

A BEAR THAT COULD DANCE BEFORE

WELL, IT'S ONE STEP, TWO STEPS, THREE STEPS FOUR

A BOTTLE OF SODA AND HE'LL DANCE SOME MORE

DANCE, DANCE DAKOTA DANCE ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY
STORE

WELL, THESE HIPPIES WALKED UP TO THE CAGE

GIVING' PILLS TO THAT OLE BEAR

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS THEY WAS GIVING TO HIM

IT HAD HIM PULLING OUT HIS HAIR

I TRIED TO KEEP TIME WITH THE MUSIC,

LORD WITH THE BEAT ON MY TAMBOURINE

GAVE HIM SOME WINE FROM A MASON JAR AND WE ALL
BEGAN TO SING

RECITATION:

WELL, I WENT OUT TO LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AND I
SAW A SEMI TRUCK ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT
SAID 'DAKOTA THE DANCING BEAR' ON THE SIDE OF IT.
NOW THEY CHARGED YOU 50 CENTS TO WATCH THIS BEAR
DANCE AROUND A TRUCK. SO I TURNED TO ARLO AND I
SAID ARLO, WE OUGHT TO GET DOWN OFF THESE
MOTORCYCLES AND WALK OVER THERE AND SEE IF THAT'S
THE SAME BEAR THAT BETTY TOLD US ABOUT WHEN SHE
WAS DRIVING THE SEMI TRUCK FOR US BACK IN
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. SO WE GOT DOWN OFF OUR
MOTORCYCLES AND WE WALKED OVER THERE EATEN' OUR
PICKLES. NOW THERE WAS FOUR OR FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND OF THESE HIPPIES FREAKS STANDING' AROUND
WAITING' ON A ROCK FESTIVAL. IT APPEARED THAT
DAVID ALLAN COE, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON AND THE GRAND
FUNK RAILROAD WAS PLAYING' IN TOWN THAT DAY AND
THEIR AIRPLANE HAD GOT HIJACKED SOMEWHERE OVER
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. SO IT TURNED OUT THAT THE
PEOPLE WITH SHORT HAIR STARTED THROWING' ROCKS AT
THE PEOPLE THAT HAD LONG HAIR.