Bronco Bill's Lament

don mclean

I could have been most anything I'd put my mind to be
but a cowboy's life's the only life for me
it's a strong man's occupation riding herd and living free
but strong men often fail where shrewed men can prevail
I'm an old man now with nothing more to say
but oh god how I worked my youth away

you may not recognize my face • I used to be a star
a cowboy hero known both near and far
I perched upon a silver mount and sang with my guitar
but the studio of course owned my saddle and my horse
but that sixgun on the wall belongs to me
oh god I can't live a memory

you know I'd like to put my finger on the trigger once again
and point that gun at all those prideful men
all the voyeurs and the lawyers who can pull a fountain pen
and put you where they choose with the language that they use
and enslave you till you work your youth away
oh god how I worked my youth away

whoopie tie ie oh • whoopie tie ie ay
one man's work is another man's pay
oh god how I worked my youth away

you see I've always liked the notion of a cowboy's fighting crime
this photograph was taken in my prime
I could beat those desperados but there's no sense fighting time
but the singing was a ball cause I'm not musical at all
I moved my lips to someone elses's voice

yes I could have been most anything I'd put my mind to be
but a cowboy's life was the only life for me
it's a strong man's occupation riding herd and living free
but strong men often fail where shrewed men can prevail
I'm an old man now with nothing more to say
but oh god how I worked my youth away