Well I was sitting in a roadhouse Havin' a cup to pass the time Swapping rodeo stories With a few old territory friends of mine When some motorcycle riders started snickering in the back Where 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 father's 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 line And a 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 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