When I signed on with this outfit
They explained to me real clearly
All the things you need to know
To work this ranch, well nearly
They told me all the minor things
That might not work just right
And anything that they left out
I'm sure was oversight.
Like heel flies and rock fences
I would find them soon enough
No-see-ums and bad crossings
Shouldn't scare me, hell, I’m tough
They admitted that the housing
Faced imminent collapse
But I don't remember hearing 'bout
Those fifty water gaps.
There finally come a great big rain
I'm hazy on the dates
And then those fifty water gaps
Were fifty open gates.
I got to know my neighbors well
As the cattle got all mixed
It takes more than a day or two
To get those fences fixed.
Then two days a horseback
We finally got them split
And driven back where they belonged
We thought that that was it.
Then we discovered six stray cows
Whose brand I hadn't seen.
I called around and found they'd come
From across the San Joaquin.
So this outfit sent two cowboys
To gather up these cows
And I just happened to drive up
As they got near the corrals.
I knew these two vaqueros
And they were both good hands
Had learned their skills a cowboyin'
South of the Rio Grande.
Now five cows marched into the pens
The sixth one out she broke
Two ropes uncoiled, her plan was foiled
Yep, these boys they could rope.
They roped her up real fancy
And turned her round about
But twenty yards from that corral
This old rip just give out.
That wasn't a big problem
To lose her would be failure.
So they just backed their outfit up
To drag her in the trailer.
They ran the rope out through the aide
And dallied up real tight
The cow threw on the parking break
And plumb got on the fight.
So the pony lunged into the line
Like a fullback with a handoff
The cow was firmly anchored, though
A genuine Mexican standoff'.
The air was blue in Spanish
They were runnin' out of luck
But I had me a hotshot
In the toolbox of my truck.
I gave it to one hombre.
He understood of course
And promptly pressed the button
As he jabbed that big old horse.
The pony, he jumped forward
The cow shot right inside
I ran and slammed the trailer door
And the horse just kind of sighed.
This shows you how much I know.
I blamed the cow, of course
When the real problem was obvious
An uninspired horse.