Strawberry Roan-Michael Martin Murphey/Chris Ledoux

Strawberry Roan (Album Version) - Michael Martin Murphey I was hanging round town, just spending my time Being out of a job and not earning a dime A fellow walks up, and he says, "I suppose You're a bronc rider, from the looks of your clothes" "Well, you figured me right, and I'm a good one, I claim Would you happen to have any outlaws to tame?" He says, "I've got one and a good one to buck At throwing top riders, he's had lots of luck" He says this here's one pony that's never been rode And the man that gets on him is bound to get throwed I got all heat up and I asked what he'd pay To ride this old nag for a couple of days Well, he offered me ten, and I says, "I'm your man For the bronc isn't living that I couldn't fan" He says, "Get your saddle, I'll give you the chance" So we hopped in his buckboard and rode to his ranch Out in the horse corral, standing alone Is an old cavallo, a strawberry roan Little pin ears that touch at the tip A big 44 brand upon his left hip He was spavined all round, and he had pigeon toes Little pig eyes and a big roman nose U-necked and old, with a long lower jaw You could tell at a glance he's a regular outlaw Well, I buckle on my spurs, and I'm sure feeling fine I pull down my hat and I pick up my twine Throw my loop on him and well I know then Before he gets rode, I'll sure earn my ten I get the blinds on him with a terrible fight Next comes the saddle, and I cinch him up tight Then I step on him and raise up the blinds "Get out of the way, boys, he's bound to unwind" Well, I threw him his head, and I'll say he unwound He seemed to quit living down here on the ground Went up in the east and come down in the west I'm sitting up on him and doing my best He sure was a frog-walker, he heaved a big sigh He only lacked wings for to be on the fly Turned his old belly right up to the sun He sure was a sunfishing son of a gun He's about the worst bucker I've seen on the range He could turn on a nickle and give you some change I lost both my stirrups and also my hat I'm reaching for leather and blind as a bat He come down on all fours, and he went up on high And he left me a-spinning up there in the sky Turned over twice and I come down to the earth And I lit into cussing the day of his birth Now I know there's ponies that I cannot ride There's some of them living, they haven't all died But I'll bet my money there's no man alive Who can stay with old Strawberry when he makes his high dive