My transcription from the recording on Spotify:


RIDE 'EM COWBOY
Written by Paul Davis
As sung by Paul Davis on "Paul Davis Greatest Hits"

1. Trav'lin' with the rodeo,
It's the only life I'll ever know.
I started in New Mexico,
Must 'a' been a thousand years ago.

2. I used to be the best, they say,
At ridin' young wild horses for my pay,
But now I'm much too old, it seems.
I only ride wild horses in my dreams.

They used to tell me:

CHORUS: "Ride 'em, cowboy; don't let 'im throw you down.
You can't make no money if you hit the ground."
They said: "Ride 'em, cowboy; don't let 'im throw you down.
You're the toughest cowboy in town."

BRIDGE: I've always been a trav'lin' cowboy,
But now there's no place left to go.
What am I supposed to do?
Seems I'm left out in the cold.

CHORUS

3. Oh, Midnight was a champion.
He's the only bronc I couldn't ride,
But now I hear ol' Midnight's blind.
He rides the little children for a dime.

4. Ladies used to hang around.
I must 'a' been a hero in their eyes.
My silver spurs are rusty now.
Lord, I wish I'd tried to settle down.

They used to tell me: CHORUS

Trav'lin' with the rodeo,
It's the only life I'll ever know.

[I can vouch for the accuracy of this transcription because I made it myself. There's another version posted here which is a little different; those lyrics were copied from another web site where they were attributed to David Allan Coe.]