The Strawberry Roan    (video)

 

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1. I was hanging around town just spending my time,

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    out of a job, not earning a dime,

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    a feller steps up and he said, “I suppose

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    you're a bronc fighter from looks of your clothes.”

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    “You figures me right, I'm a good one,” I claim.

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    “Do you happen to have any bad ones to tame ?”

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    Said, he's got one, a bad one to buck,

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    at throwing good riders he's had lots of luck.

 

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2. I gets all het up and I ask what he pays

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    to ride this old nag for a couple of days.

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    He offered me ten, and I said, “I'm your man,

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    a bronc never lived that I couldn't fan !”

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    He said, “Get your saddle, I'll give you a chance !”

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    In his buckboard we hopped and he drives to the ranch.

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    I stayed till morning and right after chuck,

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    I stepped out to see if this outlaw can buck.

 

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3. Down in the horse corral standing alone

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    is an old caballo, a Strawberry Roan.

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    His legs are all spavined he's got pigeon toes,

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    Little pig eyes and a big Roman nose.

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    Little pin ears that touched at the tip,

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    a big 44 brand was on his left hip.

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    U-necked and old with a long lower jaw,

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    I could see with one eye he's a regular outlaw.

 

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4. I gets the blinds on 'im and it sure is a fright,

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    next comes the saddle and I screws it down tight.

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    Then I steps on 'im and I raises the blinds.

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    “Get outta the way, boys, he's gonna unwind !”

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    He sure is a broad walker, he heaves a big sigh,

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    he only likes wings for to be on the fly.

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    He turns his old belly right up to the sun.

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    he sure is a sun-fishing son-of-a-gun.

 

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5. He's about the worst bucker I've seen on the range,

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    he'll turn on a nickel and give you some change.

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    He hits on all fours and goes up on high,

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    leaves me a spinning up there in the sky.

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    I turns over twice and I comes back to earth,

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    I lights in a cussing the day of his birth.

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    I know there are ponies that I cannot ride,

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    there's some of them left, they haven't all died.

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    I'll bet all my money, the man ain't alive,

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    that'll stay with Old Strawberry when he makes his high dive.

 

(orig. = capo 1st)    (Marty Robbins)