I'M BOUND TO FOLLOW THE LONGHORN COWS

I'm bound to follow the longhorn cows until I git too old,
It's well I work for wages, boys, and git my pay in gold.
My bosses, they all like me well, they say I'm hard to beat,
Because I give 'em the bum stand-off, they know I've got the cheek.

Ki-yi-yippee yipppe yay, Ki-yi-yippee yippee yay (after each verse)

Yes I'm a Texas cowboy, just off the stormy plains,
My trade is cinchin' saddles and pullin' bridle reins,
O I can tip the the lasso, boys it is with graceful ease,
I can rope a streak of lightnin' and ride it where I please.

Now when we git them bedded down, we think it's for the night,
Some horse will shake a saddle and give the herd a fright,
The herd will rise up to its feet and madly dash away,
'It's movin' time, to the lead, my boys,' you'll hear some cowboy say.

And when we git them rounded up and just about quieted down,
The storm's a-risin' in the west, and fire plays on their horns,
The foreman says, 'Stay with 'em, boys, your pay will be in gold' -
I'm bound to follow the longhorn cows, until I git too old.

One night way up in Kansas, I had a pleasant dream,
I dreamed I'se back in Texas, boys, down by some pleasant stream,
My love was right beside me, boys, she'd come to go my bail,
But I woke up broken-heared with a yearling by the tail.

Now if I had a little stake, I soon would married be,
But another week and I must go, the boss said so today.
My girl must cheer up courage and choose some other one,
For I'm bound to follow the longhorn cows until my race is run.

Notes: I first heard this on the CD "Cowboy Songs Of The Old West" with Alan Lomax and Ed McCurdy. The lyrics are found in "The Folk Songs Of North America", 1960 by Alan Lomax, p. 368. There are a few slight variations he uses in the singing version, for example, in verse 2, the text says "Yes, I'm a rowdy cowboy", while the CD version is "Yes I'm a Texas cowboy."