New Lyrics – Just Another Dead Cowboy Song

Hi folks,

Here are the lyrics to my latest song. It is called ‘Just Another Dead Cowboy Song’. It is a title I had been waiting to write a song around for a while, so when the story popped into my head, I raided my little black book of phrases and lyric ideas, and came up with this piece. The story starts with a man dying, then to what brought him there, and then is book-ended where we began. It is about all those dead cowboy songs, blowing on the wind all around the world, and this is one of them.

At the moment there is no music for this one as life is just that little bit mad at the moment, but who knows, hopefully in a few weeks I can start working on the music. I just felt the need to share this story with you, as I do love the imagry of it. I love telling a good story, and couldn’t wait to tell you this one. I hope you enjoy it 🙂

 

Just Another Dead Cowboy Song

 

Big noon sun’s a creepin’

To the edge of this hole

Been three days in this canyon

On the edge of my soul

These Badlands will take my life

Because she has the mind

Her hospitality fatal

Her disposition unkind

 

My canteen’s dry and empty

My throat too parched to talk

My horse died five miles back

The rest I had to walk

If I could manage some spit

I’d whistle a dead man’s tune

Just a little ditty

I heard in some saloon

 

chorus

A man lives like a man

‘Till his bones finds a bed

With just a dead cowboy song

Blowin’ round his head

 

A man dies like a man

There’s no escaping sin

Just another dead cowboy song

Blowin’ on the wind

 

My funeral march had started

When I entered Bull’s Head Saloon

Sellin’ whisky and men’s souls

For that there’s plenty of room

Where life and death can be decided

By the cards in your hand

Or whom you choose to smile at

In such a hostile land

 

Now I ain’t never been no saint

But I’m not so rightly bad

I was sorta somewhere between

Except when you got me mad

A man can have a temper

It helps him to be brave

But should he go and loose it

And it’s a short trip to the grave

 

chorus

A man lives like a man

‘Till his bones finds a bed

With just a dead cowboy song

Blowin’ round his head

 

A man dies like a man

There’s no escaping sin

Just another dead cowboy song

Blowin’ on the wind

 

I met a young belle called Bess

Her smile was kinda nice

She kindly bought me a drink

She knew it was my vice

We spent an hour talking

Of life and love and such

I admit my heart was taken

By her gentle touch

 

Bess was a kindly soul

Charity predominated in her life

If I was the settlin’ down type

This girl would make my wife

I would be movin’ on

But my heart for did she claim

And if I should die tomorrow

I would gently breathe her name

 

chorus

A man lives like a man

‘Till his bones finds a bed

With just a dead cowboy song

Blowin’ round his head

 

A man dies like a man

There’s no escaping sin

Just another dead cowboy song

Blowin’ on the wind

 

I sat in on a game

With my Bessie by my side

I felt like a new groom

Showin’ off to all his bride

Three men sat at that table

A captain and his man

But the way he eyed my Bess

I knew he had a plan

 

He dealt the hand accordingly

And I drew aces and eights

It was a Dead Man’s Hand

It was cast upon the Fates

An un-gentlemanly remark

To put me off my game

But the Lady’s honour was mine

So I stood up and took aim

 

chorus

A man lives like a man

‘Till his bones finds a bed

With just a dead cowboy song

Blowin’ round his head

 

A man dies like a man

There’s no escaping sin

Just another dead cowboy song

Blowin’ on the wind

 

He slumped back in is chair

With a look of such surprise

That dumb quizzical face

With no life left in it’s eyes

Three men drew on me

All ready to attack

But I retreated no further

Than the air right at my back

 

Three shots called a crowd

Into the dusty street

My life was now a race

The devil I had to beat

I said good bye to Bess

My future and my life

I was now a wanted man

Running for his life

 

chorus

A man lives like a man

‘Till his bones finds a bed

With just a dead cowboy song

Blowin’ round his head

 

A man dies like a man

There’s no escaping sin

Just another dead cowboy song

Blowin’ on the wind

 

The posse caught up with me

But too late to run me down

I was holed up in Dead Man’s Gorge

Dug deep beneath the ground

Three days slowly dying

And nothing left to drink

My lips too parched to whistle

My eye to dry to wink

 

It’s time to make my peace

As I lay me down to bed

The next time I awake

I will be sure and truly dead

My one and only wish

Is that death don’t come too soon

Just gimme some time and spit

To whistle a dead man’s tune

 

chorus

A man lives like a man

‘Till his bones finds a bed

With just a dead cowboy song

Blowin’ round his head

 

A man dies like a man

There’s no escaping sin

Just another dead cowboy song

Blowin’ on the wind

 

Lyrics written by Jamie Owen McPherson 2nd August, 2013

Copyright © 2013 Jamie McPherson