Night Rider’s Lament - Intellectual

[Verse 1]

One night while I was out a-ridin'

The graveyard shift, midnight 'til dawn

The moon was bright as a readin' light

For a letter from an old friend back home

And he asked me, why do you ride for your money

Tell me why do you rope for short pay

You ain't a-gettin' nowhere and you're losin' your share

Boy, you must've gone crazy out there

He said, "Last night I ran on to Jenny

And she's married and she has a good life

Boy, you sure missed the track, when you never came back

She's the perfect professional's wife"

And she asked me, "Why does he ride for his money?

Tell me why does he rope for short pay?

He ain't a-gettin' nowhere and he's losin' his share

Boy, he must've gone crazy out there"

Aw, but they've never seen the Northern Lights

They've never seen a hawk on the wing

They've never spent spring at the Great Divide

And they've never heard ol' Camp Cookie sing

So, I read up the last of my letter

And I tore off the stamp for black Jim

And when Billy rode up to relieve me

He just looked at my letter and he grinned

And he said, "Now why do they ride for their money?

Tell me why do they ride for short pay?

They ain't a-gettin nowhere, and they're losin' their share

Boy, they must have gone crazy out there"

Son, they all must be crazy out there

Yodeling