Last Friday she said to me
"Hey, Billy Joe
Did you know either me
Or the rodeo goes?"
So I packed up and left her
In Waco and drove up
To ride on the bulls
In the Calgary snow
Saw a sign that said "Riders"
And hauled all my rigging inside
Where the fellers was a bragging
And drawing the stock we would ride
I was doing the same
Till I looked at the name
That I'd drawn
Then I stood there and silently cried
Oh, you Calgary snow
I can't let the rodeo go
Hurt more than my pride
When a bull I can't ride
Lays me low
In the Calgary snow
Well, I knew I was beat
In the hat when I drew him
And it started me drinking
To think of the brute
Till I managed to wreck
My left knee and my ankle
Between the damn bull
And the side of the chute
And I'm thinking out loud
As I fly through the clouds
To the ground
"Hey, Billy, maybe you ain't the most
Dynamite rider around
Cause you're kicking too late
Coming out of the gate, boy
But you're great
Coming gracefully down"
Well, I know that I'm blown
In the chute on the first go around
So I give them my old what-the-hell grin
As I get off the ground
And right then I'm a thinking
I ain't taking to Calgary much
Ain't nothing back in my room
But a broom
I can use for a crutch
And it's cold, Lord
It's cold in the Calgary wind
When you're knowing you gotta go ride
The day money again
Ain't no whiskey, no ether
No patents, no pills
Gonna deaden the pain and the chill
Of the Calgary wind
But what more is a broken
Down rodeo cowboy to do
Stove-up in Canada
Watching his bruises turn blue
There's only one road
Gonna lead back to Waco and you
And it runs outta chute number two
Oh, you Calgary snow
I can't let the rodeo go
Hurt more than my pride
When a bull I can't ride
Lays me low
In the Calgary snow