Topic: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

Here's a cowboy song...I like cowboy songs. I blame my father who was from Texas.  smile

It’s a Cowboy’s Life for Me By Jeff Gilpin


June 18th, 2011


Intro


Strumming D




Verse 1


There [D]once were two old cowboys


Who got [G]tired of their life on the [D]range


Takes a [G]long hard day to [D]earn your pay


And gets [A]harder as you [A7]age


It’s [D]not a life of comfort


It’s [G]dirty and dusty and [D]cold


[G]Coughing and wheezes and [D]old injury-zes


A [A]terrible life when you’re [D]old [D7]




Chorus 1

But [G]that’s life of a [D]cowboy


The [A]young, the old, and the [D]able


You’re [G]up with the sun un[D]til the jobs done


With [Em]some of your meals from a [A]table [A7]


So [G]choose your poison [D]partner


What [A]you want your life to [Bm]be


Whether it’s [G]good, bad, or [D]just a bit sad


It’s a [A]cowboy’s life for [D]me [A]




Verse 2


Said [D]one cowpoke to the other


I’m [G]thinking of quitting this [D]life


[G]Clear off some land where I’ll [D]do what I can


[A]Might even take on a [A7]wife


I [D]don’t even care if she’s ugly


I [G]just want one who can [D]cook


And [G]one who can clean and [D]isn’t so mean



If I can [A]find one not already [D]took [D7]




Chorus 2

[G]Give up my life as a [D]cowboy


[A]Give up this younger man’s [D]game


[G]Go off live in the [D]country


[Em]Forget my home on the [A]range [A7]


[G]Forget those long days on [D]horseback


That [A]fragrant smell of the [Bm]cattle


Those [G]aches and those pains and those [D]sores without names


That you [A]get from all day in the [D]saddle [A]




Verse 3


[D]But as they thought about it


[G]Giving up the life that they [D]live


[G]Give up their ways and [D]live out their days


Was [A]a lot of give up to [A7]give


So they [D]got back in their saddles


[G]Rode off back off to the [D]herd


[G]Back to their lives and [D]forgot about wives


[A]Dreams were just so many [D]words [A]




Chorus 3

[G]Back to their life as a [D]cowboy


For the [A]young, the old, and the [D]able


[G]Up with the sun un[D]til the job’s done


With [Em]some of your meals from a [A]table [A7]


‘Cause you [G]choose your poison [D]partner


What [A]you want your life to [Bm]be


Whether it’s [G]good, bad, or [D]just a bit sad


It’s a [A]cowboy’s life for [G]me [D]



J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

Hi Jeff
Retirement wasn't an option these two old cowpoke then.   smile
Great lyrics.
ark

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

Jets, Another good song.  I write these types of cowboy songs and you've hit the subject and detail right. Very enjoyable. I spend my summers playing music and cowboying so I really enjoyed,I'd like to see any other cowboy tunes you have.

   Joe

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

hi jeff you're not letting the dust settle,straight in to it again,great song.....stay cool

love is life ,life is for love,keep a true heart and live life to the full....stay cool

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

Thanks you all. My dad kind of steered me towards cowboys. He grew up in Texas and would always be wearing his cowboy boots and an old stetson hat.

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

Tyson7 wrote:

Jets, Another good song.  I write these types of cowboy songs and you've hit the subject and detail right. Very enjoyable. I spend my summers playing music and cowboying so I really enjoyed,I'd like to see any other cowboy tunes you have.

   Joe

Hey Joe,

Here is the link to another one I wrote here on chordie a while back called Cowboy Dreams. I hope you like it.
http://chordie.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=12138

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

I liked the song jets,you and daddycool are doing some good writing!

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

Jeff, Just checked out Cowboy Dreams. Again another nice song,You sure do have a feel for the lifestyle.You're right it's harder and harder to find good riding jobs and it's not all that romantic. But if you can find the work in the right place there's nothing better. Keep sharing your songs with us I enjoy all of them. When I get the time to sit down and figure it out I'll try to share a few of mine.

  Joe

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

Another nice song jets

"Where you begin doesn't matter. Your willingness to start is what counts."
Without music life would be a mistake.
Country music is three chords and the truth.
cool cool cool cool cool cool

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

Thanks Joe and steel - I owe my cowboy songs to my pop. He grew up living that life way back in the Big Bend area of Texas. He use to tell me when he was a kid the first thing he did after waking up in the morning was to shake the scorpions out of his boots before he put them on. I always wished I would get to chance to experience what he did but other than camping out some I never did.

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

A scratch recording of this song is up on my soundcloud site now if you want to hear how it is played. I'm still trying to catch up on a bunch of old songs I promised to record - got a ways to go yet.  https://soundcloud.com/jets60/its-a-cowboys-life-for-me

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

Jeff, Great to hear how it should sound. I really like this song. Reminds me of the years I got to do that kind of work.
Thanks.

  Joe

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

Glad you like it and can relate. I should have mentioned that I use a capo on the 5th fret in the recording to better fit my vocal range. Feel free to adjust for your own.

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

I really liked your song, especially they way you crafted your lyrics to create a steady, rolling rhythm. The words fit together smoothly and support the chord changes. When I was playing it, I changed the words "some of your meals from a table" to "few of your meals from a table" because it seemed to better match what I think is your intent, i.e., that a cowboy doesn't usually get to sit down at a table to eat. Anyway, a great song and thanks for sharing it (also, I enjoyed listening to your recording!).

Re: It's a Cowboy's Life for Me

Thanks very much. I kind of like this one too. Takes me back to my childhood days when my dad, who was raised in Texas, would always sing cowboy songs. I'm glad you got to try it out as well and yes, by all means adjust the words as you feel they fit.

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C