Tying Knots In The Devil's Tail-Michael Martin Murphey

[00:10.55]Way high up in the Sierry Peaks [00:12.77]Where the yellow-jack pines grow tall [00:15.13]Sandy Bob and Buster Jiggs [00:17.13]Had a round-up camp last fall [00:19.36]They'd taken their ponies and their running irons [00:21.59]Maybe a dog or two [00:23.82]And they lowed thy'd brand every long-eared calf [00:26.24]That came within their view [00:28.27]Now many a long-eared doggie [00:30.52]That didn't push up by day [00:32.79]Had his old ears whittled and his old hide sizzled [00:34.48]In a most artistic way [00:37.05]Now Sandy Bob he said one day [00:39.53]As he throwed his cigar down [00:41.50]I'm tired of this cowography [00:43.73]And I allows I'm a going into town [00:45.21] [00:54.96]Well they saddled their ponies up and they struckem a lope [00:57.36]And how them boys could ride [00:59.40]And them was the days that a ol cowboy [01:01.54]Could oil up his whole inside [01:03.74]Well they started out at the Kentucky Bar [01:05.96]At the head of the Whisky Row [01:08.17]And they wound down at the Depot House [01:10.08]About forty drinks below [01:12.67]Well they setem up and they turned 'em around [01:15.13]And they went the other way [01:17.02]And I swear the God-forsaken truth [01:19.26]Them boys got drunk that day [01:21.62]They mounted up and they headed to camp [01:23.68]And they was packing a pretty good load [01:26.00]When who should they meet [01:27.13]But the Devil himself [01:28.21]Come prancing down the road [01:29.66] [01:39.44]Well the devil says You ornery skunks [01:41.71]You better hunt your holes [01:43.88]Cause I'm the Devil from Hell's rim rock [01:45.85]Come to gather in your souls [01:48.52]Sandy Bob said Devil be damned [01:50.79]We may be a little bit tight [01:52.78]But before you gather any cowboy souls [01:55.04]You're gonna have a helluva fight [01:57.25]He swung his rope and he swung it straight [01:59.63]And he also swung it true [02:01.69]He caught the Devil by both his horns [02:03.96]And taken his dallies too [02:06.10]Now Buster Jigg was a reata man [02:08.25]With his rawhide coiled up neat [02:10.76]He shook it out and he built him a loop [02:12.87]And he latched the Devils hind feet [02:14.51] [02:23.95]Well they stretches him out and they tails him down [02:26.42]While the running-irons were getting hot [02:28.34]And they cropped and swallow-forked his ears [02:30.54]And they branded him up a lot [02:32.87]And left there here pick night black jack cold [02:37.27]But for this life to a little pin oak [02:39.89]Tied ten knots in his tail for a joke [02:41.68]Now when you're high in the Sierry Peaks [02:44.16]And you hear one hell of a wail [02:46.21]It's just the Devil himself [02:47.61]Yelling bout them knots in his tail [02:50.66]