Lyrics James McMurtry

James McMurtry

No More Buffalo

I guess we knew the cards were stacked

started out the best of friends

and we beat that highway 'till it quit beating back

it didn't mean much in the end some you win, some you lose

some you throw away

we headed South across those Colorado plains

just as empty as the daywe looked around at all we saw

remembered all we'd hoped to see

looking out through the bugs on the windshield

somebody said to me

no more buffalo

blue skies or open road

no more rodeo

no more noise

take this Cadillac

park it out in back

mama's calling

put away the toys

don't chase that carrot

'till it makes you sick

what do you think you're gonna prove

just let it dangle

'till it falls off that stick

that's when you make your move

don't go chasing after shooting stars

trying to make yourself a name

you could joust at the windmills

with that old Fender guitar

you'd probably do about the same

I never thought they'd ever doubt my words

I guess they were just too tired to care

I'd point to the horizon

to the dust of the herds

still hovering in the air

somebody said it aint any such

man you wish so hard you're scaring me

and those are combines kicking up that dust

but I guess you can see what you want to see

you can keep on chasing what used to be there

top that rise and face the pain

but man they were here

they were here I swear

not just these bleaching bones

stretching across the plain