This Cowboy's Hat

Well I was sitting in a roadhouse

Havin' a cup to pass the time

Swapping rodeo stories

With a few old territory friend of mine

When some motorcycle riders started snickering in the back

They were pokin' fun at my friends hat

Well one old boy said 'Hey Tex where'd you park your horse'

My friend just turned his hat down low

But they couldn't be ignored

Then one husky fella said

'I think I'll rip that hat right off your head'

That's when my friend turned 'round and this is what he said

You'll ride a black tornado across the western sky

You'll rope an ol' blue norther and milk it 'till it's dry

Bulldog the Diamantina pin its ears down flat

Long before you take this cowboy's hat

Now this old hat is better left alone

You see it used to be my fathers

But last year he passed on

My uncle skinned the red belly black

That makes up this ol' hat band

But back in '69 he was killed in Vietnam

Now the eagle feather was given to me

By an old aboriginal friend of mine

But someone run him down somewhere

Up around that Northern Territory

And real special lady gave me this hat pin

But I don't know if I'm ever going to see her again

You'll ride a black tornado across the western sky

You'll rope an ol' blue norther and milk it 'till it's dry

Bulldog the Diamantina pin its ears down flat

Long before you take this cowboy's hat

Now if your leather jacket means to you

What this old hat means to me

Then I guess we understand each other

And we'll just let it be

But if you still think it's funny

Then you've got my back up against the wall

And if you touch my hat

Then you're gonna have to fight us all

Well right then I noticed a little sadness

In that gang leaders eyes

He turned back towards the others

And they all just shuffled on outside

But when my friend turned back towards me

I noticed his hat brim

Well it was turned up in a big old Territory grin

You'll ride a black tornado across the western sky

You'll rope an ol' blue norther and milk it 'till it's dry

Bulldog the Diamantina pin its ears down flat

Long before you take this cowboy's hat