Strawberry Roan
I was hanging 'round town, just spending my time
Out of a job, wasn't earning a dime
Feller walks up, and he says, "I suppose
You're a bronc fighter, by the looks of your clothes."
"You figures me right. I'm a good one, I claim
Do you happen to have any bad ones to tame?"
Said he's got one, a bad one to buck
At throwing good riders he's had lots of luck
Well, I gets all het up and I asks what he pays
To ride this old nag for a couple of days
He offers me ten, I says, "I'm your man
The bronc never lived that I couldn't fan."
He says, "Get your saddle, I'll give you a chancе."
In his wagon we climbs and we drives to His ranch
Stays until morning, thеn right after chuck
I goes out to see if this outlaw can buck
Down in the horse corral standing alone
An old caballo, a strawberry roan
His legs’re all spavined, he’s got pigeon toes
Little pig eyes and a big Roman nose
Little pin ears that touch at the tip
A map of Chihuahua over his hip;
Ewe-necked and old, got a long lower jaw
I could see with one eye he's a reg'lar outlaw
I straps on my spurs I'm sure feeling fine
I pulls down my hat and I gathers my twine
I piles a rope on him and
Before he gets rode well I'll sure earn my ten
First comes the blinds, and lord what a fight
Next comes the saddle, I screws it down tight
I lands on his middle, and I lifts off the blinds
"Get outta the way, boys, and let him unwind!"
He sure is a frog-walker, he heaves a big sigh
He only lacks wings for to be on the fly
He turns his old belly right up to the sun
He sure is a sun-fishin' son of a gun!
He's about the worst bucker I've seen on the range
He can turn on a nickel and give you your change
He hits on all fours, then he goes up on high
Just leaves me a-spinning’ up there in the sky
I turns over twice, and I comes back to earth
I lights in a-cussin' the day of his birth
Now I know there are ponies that I cannot ride
There’s some of them left, they haven't all died
But I'll bet all my money a man ain't alive
Who can stay with old strawberry
When he makes his high dive