While
I was out a-ridin'
A graveyard shift midnight till dawn
The moon was as bright as a readin' light
For a letter from an old friend back home
And he asked me, why do you ride for your
money And why do you rope for short pay
You ain't gettin' nowhere and you're losin' your share
Boy you must have gone crazy out there
He said last night he run into Jenny
She's married and has a good life
Boy you sure miss the track when you never
come back She's the perfect professional's wife
And she asked him,
why does he ride for his money
And why does he rope for short pay He
ain't gettin' nowhere and he's losin'
his share
Boy you must have gone crazy out there
But they ain't never seen the northern lights
They ain't never seen a hawk on the wing
They never seen spring hit the great divide
They ain't never heard old Camp Cookie sing
Well I read up the last of my letter
And tore off the stamp for black Jim
And when Billy came up to relieve me
He just looked at my letter and grinned
And he said,
you know I wonder,
why do they ride for their money
And why do they rope for short pay They
ain't gettin' nowhere and they're losin'
their share
Son, they all must be crazy out there
Cause they ain't never seen the northern
lights They ain't never seen a hawk on the wing
They never seen spring hit the great divide
They ain't never heard old Camp Cookie sing