He was cowboy by name and cowboy by game
And he played the game plumb to the hilt
His clothes, they were tailored, his hat was the same
And his shootin irons all custom built
He’d practice at dawn before headin out
Makin sure all his movements were quick
He was smooth buttermilk poured from a spout
I’m telling you, that boy was slick
When it came down to shootin, he had one goal in mind
The Holy Grail for him you see
Was to stand and deliver in the Southwest sunshine
And win it all at EOT
So he finally got where he was lightning itself
And he knew he was ready to go
Took his duds and his boots down from off of the shelf
And packed them up. Ready to go
Took a few days to get there, first West and then South
He watched the country roll by
He wondered how victory'd taste in his mouth
He was ridin a Gunfighter’s high
He arrived in New Mexico eager to shoot
He sure loved this game with a passion
He was dressed to the nines from his head to his boots
The epitome of cowboy fashion
His spurs jingled gayly as he stepped to the line
(I mean happily ya goldurned galoots!)
Cowboy blood pumping pure in his heart at the time
The conditions were perfect to shoot
The buzzer went off and the crowd fairly gasped
At the speed with which he cleared leather
His sixguns blazed fire from his gunfighter grasp
In that late spring New Mexico weather
As he moved stage to stage a murmur began
“This boy may be the best ever!”
The crowd swelled as shooters and spectators ran
Amazed at the speed of his lever
Through stage after stage his speed and his aim
Were the things from which legends are made
“World Record”, they shouted. “He’s the top of the game”
And the groundwork for fame was laid
When the victory seemed to be his without doubt
His foot slipped and he went to his knee
He was up in a flash as they started to shout
“Oh, no! It’s a dang tragedy!”
He finished the stage but it cost him a bit
Just three little ticks of the clock
Some of the folks were sure having a fit
But he smiled and just wiped off his stock
At the next stage his closest competitor moaned
“My Winchester carbine just broke!”
“Use mine Pard”, says the cowboy. I’m happy to loan”
“It’s a fast one, with a real slick short stroke”
So the other man used it and cleaned the stage fast
And he walked away with the win
Our feller said “Well, guess my luck didn’t last”
And he said it with a big cowboy grin
Packed his gear the next day and headed on back
Quite a long drive first North and then East
You’d think he’d be crushed, be flat on his back
But he didn’t seem down in the least
Got clear to Kentucky still wearin that grin
As the miles rolled under the tires
“Maybe next year, I’ll do it”, he said now and then
He still had that cowboy desire
Down at Sears in the mall, he had more work to do
Selling Kenmores, that’s just what he does
And the folks he worked with there, well they never knew
What a really fine cowboy he was
