While I was out a-ridin'
A graveyard shift midnight till dawn
The moon was as 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 And why do you row for short pay?
You ain't gettin' nowhere and you're losin' your share
Boy you must have gone crazy out there
He said last night he run into Jenny
She's married and has a good life
Boy you sure miss the track when you never come back
She's the perfect professional's wife
And she asked him, Why does he ride for his
money And why does he row for short pay?
He ain't gettin' nowhere and he's losin' his share
They must have gone crazy out there But
they ain't never seen the northern lights
They ain't never seen a hawk on the wing
They never seen spring hit the great divide
They ain't never heard old Camp Cookie sing
Well I read up the last of my letter
And tore off the stamp for Black Jim
When Billy came up to relieve me He
just looked at my letter and grinned
And he said,
You know I wonder,
Why do they ride for their money
And why do they row for short pay?
They ain't gettin' nowhere and they're losin' their share
Son they all must be crazy out there
Cause they ain't never seen the northern lights
They ain't never seen a hawk on the wing
They never seen spring hit the great divide
They ain't never heard old Camp Cookie sing