Lyrics
Verse 1
Saddle leather creaks before the sun gets highCoffee in a tin cup, dust beneath my eyesI got a red bandana and a long way to goPast the mesquite country where the hot winds blow
Pre‑Chorus
My father left me spurs and a name I won't tradeA little bit of mercy, a little renegade
Chorus
Ride on, ride on, through the borderland dustKeep your word like a promise, keep your heart like a trustWhen the road turns cruel and the daylight is goneSing to the horses, keep riding onRide on, ride on, let the old six-string ringA cowboy's got a sorrow, but he still knows how to sing
Verse 2
I knew a girl in Del Rio with a rose in her hairShe could calm a wild mustang with one steady stareI told her I'd return when the cattle drive was throughBut the trail took my brother and the winter took two
Pre‑Chorus
Now I carry her letter in my saddlebag seamHer words are worn thin, but they visit my dreams
Chorus
Ride on, ride on, through the borderland dustKeep your word like a promise, keep your heart like a trustWhen the road turns cruel and the daylight is goneSing to the horses, keep riding onRide on, ride on, let the old six-string ringA cowboy's got a sorrow, but he still knows how to sing
Bridge
At the river crossing, I faced the morning rainHeard a train beyond the cottonwood calling my nameNo crown on my head, no silver in my handJust a worn-out map and a place to stand
Final Chorus
Ride on, ride on, through the borderland dustKeep your word like a promise, keep your heart like a trustIf the road turns cruel and the daylight is goneSing to the horses, keep riding onRide on, ride on, let the whole valley ringA cowboy's got a sorrow, but he still knows how to singYes, a cowboy's got a sorrow, but he still knows how to sing
Outro
Saddle leather creaks as the evening turns goldOne more mile to travel, one more story told