bronco bill's lament

i coulda been most anything i put my mind to be

but a cowboy's life was the only life for me. it's a strong man's occupation ridin' herd and livin' free

but strong men often fail

where shrewd men can prevail

i'm an old man now with nothin' left to say

but oh god how i worked my youth away. well you may not recognise my face

i used to be a star

a cowboy hero known both near and far. i perched upon a silver mount and sang with my guitar

but the studio of course

owned my saddle and my horse

but that six-gun on the wall belongs to me

oh god i can't live a memory. you know i'd like to put my finger on that trigger once again

and point that gun at all the prideful men. all the voyeurs and the lawyers who can pull a fountain pen

and put you where they choose

with the language that they use

and enslave you till you work your youth away

oh god how i worked my youth away. whoopee ty yioh

whoopee ty yi ay

one man's work is another man's play

oh god how i worked my youth away. you see i always liked the notion of a cowboy fighting crime

this photograph was taken in my prime

i could beat those desperados but there's no sense fightin' time

but the singin' was a ball

cause i'm not musical at all

i moved my lips to someone else's voice.