I learned a hard won lesson
   From my mothers lonely life
   About myths and memories
   And crying in the night.
   If you catch a barrom cowboy
   You best just set hime free
   Cause a wander lustin' maverick
   Can't see the forest for the trees.

   They'll charm you with a smile
   And then look at you and grin
   And tell you pretty stories
   About the joys of playful sin.
   But darling let me tell you
   They're not like other men
   Cause a purebred barroom cowboy
   Is only living when he's free

   My daddy was a wanderer
   A hard living, free souled man
   A man with many brothers
   Spread o'er this troubled land
   A gambler, and a hustler
   A charmer full of wiles
   A purebred barroom cowboy
   Only happy when he dreams

   So darling, if you know one
   Or, God help you, learn to love
   Gather up your courage
   Turn your back and walk away
   Believe me when I tell you
   It's best to set him free
   Cause at heart he's just a wild thing
   Like a shadow in the night
   Or a mountain's rushing stream.

   Barroom Cowboys last forever
   In our hearts and in our minds
   But darling if you meet one
   Best just let him pass on by
   Cause even if he loves you
   He'll always go away
   Like a ghost in a graveyard
   He just can't seem to stay.

   You'll know him if you see him
   The breed's easy to recognize
   He's the one who wanders in
   And catches all the eyes
   He's the one the women worship
   The one respected by the men
   The one who just can't lose
   But somehow never wins

   So now I've told you fairly
   And warned you like a friend.
   A purebred barroom cowboy
   Is a lost and troubled man.
   Don't ever try to hold one
   And don't try to make him stay
   Cause a purebred barroom cowboy
   Will only cause you pain.