The Goodnight-Loving

Ridin' against the wind in East New Mexico

His skin is dry and worn as the Texas plains

He's headed where the air is thin and and the cold blue northers blow

Up through the Raton Pass but he'll have to beat the early snow

The winter of '64 was a great many years ago

When a young man went away for the rebel cause

And he was branded by the war and the only life he'd know

Was lookin' over his shoulder saddle bound and layin' low

Now there's a man on the goodnight-loving

Like too many other men out on the trail

Who found the hard way when the pushing comes to shoving

He'd go six feet under before he'd go to jail

Now there's a place just north of here where they say the outlaws go

Where a man can leave his name and past behind

And every now and then you'll hear, he's gone the way of the buffalo

And that he finally made the pass but he didn't beat the early snow

Now there's a man on the goodnight-loving

Like too many other men out on the trail

Who found the hard way when the pushing comes to shoving

He'd go six feet under before he'd go to jail

He'd go six feet under before he'd go to jail