He told a good story
And all us kids listened
About his life on the border
And the way it was then
And we'd all believe
And when he was finished
We'd ask the old cowboy
To tell them again
You could almost hear
Those prairie winds blowing
His saddle a creaking
'Neath his old faded jeans
You could taste the dry dust
From the trail he was riding,
As he sat there and painted
Those west Texas scenes
And the grownups would tell us, "You boys keep your distance"
"That old man's just telling you lies"
But to all us kids
Cowboy Bill was a hero
Just as true
As his blue Texas skies.
He told of the time
When he rode with the Rangers
Down on the Pecos
And he saved the day
Outnumbered by plenty
They were almost to cover
With 30 banditos
Headed their way
He looked back just in time
To see a horse stumble
The captain went down
And Bill pulled up on his reins
And through a flurry of bullets
He rescued the captain
They rode for a sunset
Just the story remains
And the grownups would tell us, "You boys keep your distance"
"That old man's just telling you lies"
But to all us kids
Cowboy Bill was a hero
Just as true
As his blue Texas skies.
Well I still remember
The day that it happened
We waited and we waited
But Bill never showed
The folks at the feed store
Said that they hadn't seen him
So we set out for his place
Down old Christville road
And we cried when we found him
Lying there with his memories
The old trunk wide open
Things scattered about
He was clutching a badge
That said, "Texas Ranger"
And in old yeller letters
Said, "Texas Is Proud"
And those grownups that told us, "You boys keep your distance"
That old man's just telling you lies"
Well now
They're all saying
That Cowboy Bill was a hero
Just as true
As his blue Texas skies
Just as true
As his blue Texas skies
