by Murader

The rules of the range are simple at best
Should you venture into that habitat.
Don't cuss a man's dog, be good to the cook,
And don't mess with a cowboy.s hat.

Now I'll admit there's dogs that need cussin'
And when Cookie starts out in the spring,
His grub ain't worth a buzzard consumption,
But a hat! That's a personal thing.

Sometimes it's all a cowboy owns
Or at least owns free and clear.
So when someone suggests he check it at the door,
He'll probably act like he didn't hear.

'Cause he'd no more think of leavin' his hat,
Than he'd consider crossin' in front of a stampede.
It'd be like a zebra leavin' his stripes,
Or a lawyer forgettin' his card!

In a dance hall, a court room, or cafe
If asked he's stick it under his chair
Or decide to himself, if hats ain't welcome
Then just maybe he shouldn't be there.

He subscrives to a loose code of conduct
That's unwritten but here's how it's said
There's only one place that a hat belongs
And that's on top of yer head!

If you're givin' some thought to my comments
You'd expect an exception to the rule
A place exists in a cowboy's mind
Where he removes his hat.

If you're thinkin' a wedding forget it
That's a half hitch a cowboy can't tie
And if your final guess is a funeral
I can tell you, friend, we never die.

So a word to the wise is sufficient
And I guess I should leave it at that
Suffice it to say, you can bum his last chew
But don't mess with a cowboy's hat.

Repeat after me...

Don't mess with a cowboy's hat!!

--Murader

Added 06 September 1998

	Go to the main page for Murader
	Go to the main page for The Emerald Sanctuary