Monday, March 06, 2006

cowboys

Purim is coming up fast and that got me thinking about cowboys.
I got home last night from work and turned on some Waylen and Willie. "Mommas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys." After the song my 5 year old said to me, "Daddy, why shouldn't momma's let their babies be cowboys?" So we played the song again and then I asked him if he understood. He didn't. SO I told him when he was his sister's age, then he might understand. At that point he burst into tears and said, "Daddy, Af Pam (Never) I won't understand." We went to the other computer that has better speakers and I played the song one more time and then I asked him if he understood and he said yes and went happily to bed.

The traditional family favorite is the Alvin version where he changes the word cowboys to chipmunks.

For those few of you that don't recognize the song you can goto http://www.simplyangel.com/mommasdontletyourbabies.htm to hear it.

Cowboys ain't easy to love and they're harder to hold
They'd rather give you a song than diamonds or gold
Lone Star belt buckles and old faded Levi's
Each night begins a new day
If you don't understand him and he don't die young
He'll probably just ride away.

Mommas don't let your baby's grow up to be cowboys
Don't let em pick guitars and drive them old trucks
Let em be doctors and lawyers and such
Mommas don't let your baby's grow up to be cowboys
Cause they'll never stay home and they're always alone
Even with someone they love.

Cowboys like smoky old pool rooms and clear mountain mornings
Little warm puppies and children and girls of the night
Them that don't know him won't like him and them that do
Sometimes won't know how to take him
He ain't wrong he's just different but his pride won't let him
Do things to make you think he's right.

Mommas don't let your baby's grow up to be cowboys
Don't let em pick guitars and drive them old trucks
Let em be doctors and lawyers and such
Mommas don't let your baby's grow up to be cowboys
Cause they'll never stay home and they're always alone
Even with someone they love.

Mommas don't let your baby's grow up to be cowboys.

1 comment:

Just Shu said...

Here's another reason why you shouldn't let your kids grow up to be cowboys. This is a new Willie Nelson song

-title-
Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other

There's many a strange impulse out on the plains of West Texas;
There's many a young boy who feels things he don't comprehend.
Well small town don't like it when somebody falls between sexes,
No, small town don't like it when a cowboy has feelings for men.

Well I believe in my soul that inside every man there's a feminine,
And inside every lady there's a deep manly voice loud and clear.
Well, a cowboy may brag about things that he does with his women,
But the ones who brag loudest are the ones that are most likely queer.

Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other
What did you think those saddles and boots was about?
There's many a cowboy who don't understand the way that he feels towards his brother,
Inside every cowboy there's a lady who'd love to slip out.

Ten men for each woman was the rule way back when on the prairie,
And somehow those cowboys must have kept themselves warm late at night.
Cowboys are famous for getting riled up about fairies,
But I'll tell you the reason a big strong man gets so uptight:

Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other
That's why they wear leather, and Levi's and belts buckled tight.
There's many a cowboy who don't understand the way that he feels towards his brother;
There's many a cowboy who's more like a lady at night.

Well there's always somebody who says what the others just whisper,
And mostly that someone's the first one to get shot down dead:
When you talk to a cowboy don't treat him like he was a sister
Don't mess with the lady that's sleepin' in each cowboy's head.

Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other
Even though they take speed and drive pickups and shoot their big guns;
There's many a cowboy who don't understand the way that he feels towards his brother;
There's many a cowboy who keeps quiet about things he's done.