It was warm at the bar but cold out that night

When the old doors flew open and into the light

Stepped a vision of loveliness...A cowgirl so fair that

the boys gasped at the ribbons that shone in her hair

A few varmints moved forward in the smokey saloon

But they found they had made their slick move a bit soon

For without a word spoken her dainty hands moved

And in less than a second the cowgirl had proved

That she was lots more than a small pretty face

Her sixguns had covered each man in the place

As they all stared in awe (they were dumb And dumbfounded)

She twirled both her Colts and then real slowly rounded

the end of the bar and sauntered on down

to the big fancy mirror that had come from Chi-town.

Her pistols spun faster in the Chandelier's light

What a show she put on on that Christmas Eve night!

The piano stopped playin and the card games did too

Every drover and gambler wondered what she would do.

Her pistols stopped spinnin ...and she fired in the air

And while smilin and laughin she emptied the pair.

A goodly sized hole then appeared in the ceiling

The gunsmoke blew out and the cowboys were reeling.

Then down through the hole on that magical night

drifted sparkling snowflakes and Christmas starlight.

"The drinks are on me, Boys", she said with a smile

And they saw that the new snow had made quite a pile

So they grabbed a small pine tree and stuck it in there

And Mary took bright ribbons out of her hair

She hung them on the tree and the cowboys raced 'round

And shortly they came back with what they had found

Some bright colored face cards and a watch chain or two

Cigar bands and spurs and a kerchief of blue

Why in just a few minutes they had them a sight

That would warm up a banker's cold heart on that night

The atmosphere brightened as all of the drovers

Seemed to get in the spirit, their loneliness over

And they laughed and they joked like old friends long parted

And a kid from Wyoming then suddenly started

to sing Christmas carols in a voice so dang clear

That I heard tell some hombres might have near shed a tear

Then Calico Mary headed straight for the door

"Now you're all feelin better. That's what I came for.

I've got more cheer to spread on this crisp Christmas Eve

So have fun and behave now. I've got to leave"

And she turned and strode out as the cowboys all cheered

What a wonderful gift she had left them that year

They covered the hole with a skylight that spring

But they opened it in case Christmas Eve just might bring

A drifting of snowflakes like that time long ago

When the night turned to magic with a one woman show.

And old cowboys still tell the old tale of that night

How a cowgirl had shown them the warmth and the light

Those ribbons hang still on the bar... a bit worn

And the legend of Calico Mary was born.

Calico Mary