Well, there's always been groups of people
That never could see eye-to-eye
But I always thought if they ever had a chance to sit down and talk face to face
They might realize they got a lost cause
Well I was sitting in a coffee shop,
Just having a cup to pass the time
Swapping rodeo stories with this old cowboy friend of mine
When some motorcycle riders started snickering in the back
And started poking fun at my friend's hat
One old boy said "hey Tex, where do you park your horse?"
My friend just pulled his hat down low, but they couldn't be ignored
One husky fellow said "I think I'll rip that hat right off your head"
That's when my friend turned around, and this is what he said
You'll ride a black tornado across a western sky
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
Now partner, this old hat's better left alone.
You see, it used to be my daddy's, but last year he passed on.
My nephew skinned the rattler that makes up this old hat band.
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 near that Arizona line
And a real special lady gave me this hat pin
But I don't know if I'll ever see her again
You'll ride a black tornado across a western sky
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
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.
Well right then I caught a little sadness in that gang leader's eyes.
He turned back to the others
And they all just kind of shuffled on outside
But when my friend turned back towards me
I noticed his old hat brim
Well it was turned up in a big old Texas grin!
You'll ride a black tornado across a western sky
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