You Don’t Know What Lonesome Is

[VERSE 1]
When the hoot owl toots his tooloo
To the wail of a nip-wick hen
And the chink funk chirps in the chilly night
It's mighty lonesome then
And it's lonesome when the wintery wind howls
Through the jack-pine boughs
But you don't know what lonesome is 'till you get to herdin' cows

[Chorus]
Doo-me-ah-mah-doo
Doo-me-ah-mah-day
All alone
All alone

[VERSE 2]
Now the ordinary fella
Gets off on a Saturday night
He gets a chance to see his pals
That ain't no more than right
But when the rope and saddle is your life
There's no time to carouse
'Cause you don't know what lonesome is 'till you get to herdin' cows

[Chorus]
Doo-me-ah-mah-doo
Doo-me-ah-mah-day
By myself
By myself

[VERSE 3]
Oh the keeper of the lighthouse
The sailor man at sea
And the lookout on the mountain-top
Ain't got a thing on me
'Cause I got all the lonesomeness that the common law allows
Man you don't know what lonesome is 'till you get to herdin' cows

[Chorus]
Doo-me-ah-mah-doo
Doo-me-ah-mah-day
Cowboy blues
Cowboy blues

[VERSE 4]
You may often wonder why a cowpoke sings so sad
He's thinkin' of the many things in life he's never had
No gal, no pal for company
Just the cattle as they browse
Brother you don't know what lonesome is 'till you get to herdin' cows

[Chorus]
Doo-me-ah-mah-doo
Doo-me-ah-mah-day
All alone
By myself
Doggone cows