We robbed trains with Frank and Jesse James
With Buffalo Bill carried pony express mail
Helped Pat Garret track young Billie Bonney
Always knowing that we would never fail
We fought with Bowie and Crockett
To the Alamo's doomed and bitter end
Lived and breathed those legends with
Our heroes and our best friends
Sometimes we confused right and wrong
But in the end we sorted out all that
Our heroes never cursed or swore
And always had the white Stetson hat
Later on as we grew older
Too old for cowboy games
We discovered the music
And a host of other names
We built the Coulee Dam with old Woody
Tasted Grapes of Wrath with poor Tom Joad
Lived and breathed through their music
The agony on that long dread Okie road
Steinbeck also took us East of Eden
And down the road to Tortilla Flat
All those things when growing up
With Country music to top all that
I served with Yanks in cold war Berlin
Had some gloriously boozy nights
Wept beery tears of friendship
And fought one or two drunken fights
My life has been a love hate story
In truth more love it would seem
As Hank and George and Waylon and Elvis
All sang and lived their American dream
I wouldn't change it at all you know
This much closer to life's other end
When push comes to that final shove
You just can't beat old trusted friends
