Seventeen

When he was five years old, his mom took him down

To the round corral to watch his dad work

With the young horse that he called Smokey

And man did that horse buck, but his old dad

He just sat up there and rode him like there's nothin' to it

And right then, the boy gained a whole new respect for the man

And from that day on, he knew that when he grew up

He wanted to be a cowboy

At 17, a cowboy's dreams ain't on fixin' fences

Once he's seen 'em ride in old Cheyenne

Ranch routine and his old man's schemes

This ain't where his heart is

But you know, his daddy understands

♪

Well, noonday comes and, father and son

Sit down and eat their dinner

Beneath that big Wyoming sky

His daddy knows he's gotta let him go

The boy can't be a winner

If he don't spread his wings and fly

And in his mind he's ridin' bulls down in Las Vegas

And soon he'll be on a train that leads to Santa Fe

The sweet voice of freedom echoes down the ages

And calls another cowboy on his way

♪

Well, the fencin's done and the mornin' sun

Finds him packed and ready

Momma kissed his cheek and then she went inside

His old man, well, he shook his hand

Said, "Son, you ride 'em pretty"

He didn't see the tears that his momma cried

And in his mind he's ridin' bulls down in Las Vegas

Today he's on a train that leads to Santa Fe

The sweet voice of freedom echoes down the ages

And calls another cowboy on his way