This Cowboy’s Hat

[Verse 1]
Well, I was sittin' in a coffee shop, just havin' a cup to pass the time
Swappin' rodeo stories with this old cowboy friend of mine
When some motorcycle riders started snickerin' in the back
Started pokin' fun at my friend's hat
One old boy said, "Hey Tex, where'd you park your horse?"
My friend just pulled his hat down low, but they couldn't be ignored
One husky fella said, "I think I'll just rip that hat right off your head."
That's when my friend turned around, and this is what he said:

[Chorus]
"You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an old Blue Norther' and milk it till it's dry
Bulldog the Mississippi, pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat."

[Verse 2]
He said, "Partner, now this ole hat's better left alone
See, it used to be my daddy's, but last year he passed on
My nephew skinned the rattler that makes up this here old hatband
But back in '69, he died in Vietnam
Now the eagle feather was given to me by an Indian friend of mine
But somebody ran him down somewhere around that Arizona line
And a real special lady gave me this here hat pin
But I don't know if I'll ever see her again."

[Chorus]
"You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an old Blue Norther' and milk it till it's dry
Bulldog the Mississippi, pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat."

[Verse 3]
"Now if your leather jacket means to you what this 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, man, you got my back up against the wall
And if you touch my hat, you're gonna have to fight us all."
Right then I caught a little sadness in that gang leader's eyes
And he turned back towards the others and they all just kinda shuffled on outside
But when my friend turned back towards me, I noticed his old hat brim
Well, it look like it was turned up in a big old Texas grin

[Chorus]
"You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an old Blue Norther' and milk it till it's dry
Bulldog the Mississippi, pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat."