I started up the trail with
Charlie and the boys,
my heart was sadly grieving.
I started up the trail with
Charlie and the boys, old
San
Antonio grieving.
I started up the trail with
Charlie and the boys,
the prairie winds was a sighing.
But I couldn't look back at a
one -room shack where
Ma and
Sis was a -cryin'
As the herd lined out,
I heard the shout of old
Charlie, goodnight dearly
I turned my head just sick with dread
from a home that I loved dearly
I hid my tears from
Charlie and the boys,
the first drive to be mak in'
I can't say why, but I said good -bye
To a mother's heart a -breakin'
And the cattle they bought
and the herd just crawled
As they grazed them along the way
The rivers we crossed and
the stock we lost
And we watched them swept away
Each mile to me an eternity
As they cursed the thirst and the weather
A wearison's stride is a
cowboy's life,
Bone, beans, and pound and leather.
Mmm.
I headed up the trail with
Charlie and the boys,
Old blue was a -leadin' out steady.
A scout rode out on a northward route
to get the bedround ready.
As I lay that night in a campfire's light,
Just memories to re mind me
Of a mother's love, and the
Lord above,
And the world that left behind me.
As I rode along the trail with
Charlie and the boys,
The dark sky sent us a -praying,
An eerie pire,
St.
Elmo's fire,
On the backs of the longhorns playing.
And the heavens they riled,
and the herd went wild,
Like a devil had come to vex us.
And a road with dread and a hatless head
Just a wishle -nag stayed in
Texas
And the cattle they bawled
and the herd just crawled
As we grazed them along the way
The rivers we crossed and
the stock we hossed
And we watched them swept away
Each mile to me an eternity
As I curse the thirst and the weather
A wearisome stride,
there's a cowboy's life
On beans and pounds and leather
As I rode along the trail with
Charlie and the boys
The
Canadian's banks were a -spillin'
The herd wouldn't go,
so we pushed them slow
Till we finally stopped a -millin'
Then a rustler's raid was a visit paid
With lead and hail to pay
And I wrote that night and I learned to fight
But better how to pray
The trail was hard on
Charlie and the boys
To dodge the rain kept a -fallin'
The cow boys all were fools to fall
For every vice a -callin'
And as the raindrops splashed
and the lightning flashed
As
Sodom's flames were burnin'
I rode from town to the old bed round,
just a -lookin' back again.
And the cattle they bawled, and the herd just crawled,
as we grazed them along the way.
The rivers we crossed, and the stock we lost,
and we watched them swept away.
Each mile to me an eternity,
as I cursed the thirst and the weather.
No wearisome strife,
here's a cowboy's life
On beans and pounds and leather
Started down the trail with
Charlie and the boys
Back to good old
Texas headed
Eatin' beans by the pail and
dyin' on the trail
Where the only fears I dreaded
And if I ever get back to that one -room
shack I swear that I will never
Go up that trail in the rain and the hail
On beans and pound and leather
And the cattle they bawled
and the herd just crawled
As we praised them along the way
The rivers we crossed and
the stock we lost
And we watched them swept away
Each mile to me an eternity
As I cursed the thirst and the weather
A wearisome strife is a cowboy's life
On beans and pound and leather
A wearisome strife is a cowboy's life
On beans and pound and leather
Mmmmmmm.
Sons Of The San Joaquin 
