-
The Man with the Big Hat
- TCU Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
The Man with the Big Hat In a bar in Arizona, on a sultry summer day, A cowboy came in off the road just to pass the time away. He pulled a stool up to the bar, pushed his hat back on his head. I listened to the stories told, to the words the cowboy said, he said, “I can tell you stories ’bout the Indians on the plains, Talk about Wells Fargo and the comin’ of the trains. Talk about the slaughter of the buffalo that roamed. Tell of all the settlers come out lookin’ for a home. “Now the man with the big hat is buyin’. Drink up while the drinkin’ is free. Drink up to the cowboys a’dead or a’dyin; Drink to my compadres and me. Drink to my compadres and me.” Well, his shirt was brown and faded and his hat was wide and black. And the pants that once were blue were grey and had a pocket gone in back. He had a finger missin’ from the hand that rolled a smoke He smiled and talked of cowboys, but you knew it weren’t no joke. He said, “I’ve seen a day so hot your pony could not stand, And if your water bag was dry don’t count upon the land. And winters, I’ve seen winters when your boots froze in the snow, And your only thought was leavin’ but you had no place to go.” He rested easy at the bar, his foot upon the rail, And laughed and talked of times he’d had while livin’ on the trail. The silence never broken as the words poured from his lips. As quiet as the .45 he carried on his hip. He said, “I rode the cattle drives from here to San Antone; Ten days in the saddle and weary to the bone. I’ve rode from here to Wichita without a woman’s smile, And the fire where I cooked my beans was the only light for miles.” -07- -08He rolled another cigarette as he walked toward the door. I heard his spurs a’jinglin’ as his boot heels hit the floor. He loosened up his belt a notch, pulled his hat down on his head. Turned to say goodbye to me and this is what he said, “Now the high lines chase the highways and the fences close the range, And to see a workin’ cowboy is a sight that’s mighty strange. A cowboy’s life was lonely and his lot was not the best, But if it wasn’t for the life he lived there wouldn’t be no West. “Now the man with the big hat is buyin’. Drink up while the drinkin’ is free. Drink up to the cowboys a’dead or a’dyin; Drink to my compadres and me. Drink to my compadres and me.” Copyright © 1969 Universal Publishing Songwriter, Steven Fromholz (ASCAP) ...