The Rooster
I met the old man up on the mesa
He was camped at the head of the trail
I was looking for a guide to take me closer to the sky,
Up the mountain peak I meant to scale
I don’t think he’d shaved in a decade
Made it hard to see if he could smile
The brim of his hat hid those robin’s egg eyes
His boots, they had trekked ten thousand miles
Refrain
They all called him the Rooster
Rooster had lady called Elaine
Rooster tried to warn me not to venture out too far
Said “you can’t see the trouble on the range”
No you can’t see the trouble on the range
(Verse)
Rooster had a question that first morning,
He looked up from his coffee for a spell
“You sure want to climb? Ain’t no shame to stay behind
searching for your heaven can be hell”
I grinned as, tightened up my laces
Grabbed my ridgetop hat by the brim
Told him “I ain’t gonna stop, got my heart set on the top
Please don’t bother askin’ me again
(Refrain)
I told the Rooster all ‘bout my Rosie,
How the embers glow inside our hearts
Rosie’s far away, but I’m counting on the day
when we won’t ever have to be apart
Rooster took long swig of his whiskey,
Seemed like he had something on his mind
But he just shook his head, then climbed into his tent
said “get some sleep, you’ll need it for the climb.”
(refrain)
I felt a chilly breeze and a raindrop
Just as we caught sight of Wilson Peak
Switchbacks zigged ‘n zagged,
There was wet moss on the crags,
Air was thin, my muscles they felt weak
Something must have happened in that moment
Maybe just a strong wind blowin’ round
I felt the Rooster’s hand, it was tryin’ to help me stand
But I just went tumblin, tumblin down
Six months down the road i’m still in rehab
Doctor says I’ll always need the cane
Rosie never showed, never called me on the phone
Rooster just keeps singing his refrain
(alt. final refrain)
They all call me the Rooster
Once I had a lady called Elaine
She left me when I headed for the mountains
Now I’m all alone out on the range
Bound to be alone out on the range
Searching for my heaven on the range