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