Play song 4:32
Night Rider's Lament
Written by Mike Burton, sung by Dave Stamey,
Album: Campfire Waltz
Artist biography
Night rider was the cowboy who rode during the late night hours to watch over the cattle
One night as I was riding
Graveyard shift, midnight to dawn
The moon was as bright as a reading light
For a letter from an old friend back home
He asked me, "Why do you ride for your money?
Why do you rope for short pay?
You ain't gettin' nowhere and you're loosin' your share
You must have gone crazy out there."
He said, "Last night I run into Jenny
She's married and has a good lif
Oh, you sure missed the track when you never come back;
She's the perfect professional's wife
She asked me, 'Why does he ride for his money?
Why does he rope for short pay?
He ain't gettin' nowhere and he's loosing his share
He must have gone crazy out there'"
But they've never seen the Northern Lights
Never seen the hawk on the wing
Never seen the spring hit the great divide
They've never heard old camp cookie sing
Well, I read up the rest of my letter
I tore off the stamp for Black Jim
Billy rode up to relieve me
He looked at my letter and grinned
He said, "Why do we ride for your money?
Why do we rope for short pay?
Ww ain't gettin' nowhere and were loosing our share
Oh, we all must be crazy out here
But they've never seen the Northern Lights
Never seen the hawk on the wing.
Never seen the spring hit the great divide
They've never heard old camp cookie sing
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