It Happened Down on the Pedernales

It Happened Down On The Ped.Er.Nalis (Pedernales) (Verse 1) Heard it over the phone one day, Pat Taylor tellin’ it plain, ’Bout Glenn Lewis ridin’ river bends, Through cedar, rock, and cypress. Down on the Ped.Er.Nalis (Pedernales) Where the moon slips through the trees, Varmint hunting in that rough country, With the night air on the breeze. ⸻ (Verse 2) Spotted eyes in a live oak limb, Slid that colt in tight, Near about under that varmints own tail, Then it came down The sound startled his ride — And the colt just snapped and spun, Broke in two and pitched him hard, ‘Fore the echo even run. ⸻ (Verse 3) Dusted off and climbed back up, Figured it was just bad luck, But twice more that night it did the same— That colt just become un-broke. Third time down, Glenn hit the ground, And he’d finally had enough, Said, “Boy, you ain’t cut out for this rough stuff” and that was it. ⸻ Ohhh Glenn… down by that river bend, Did things his own way ‘til the very end, Didn’t talk it out, didn’t pretend— Just handled it right then. Later on, with a somber tone, ⸻ Under that Texas sky, Glenn just gathered his saddle up, Four long miles through rock and brush, Leather heavy on his back, Moon dropped low while he walked it home, Step by step on that trail. ⸻ (Verse 5) Next mornin’ down at the coffee shop he said….. “If you’re gonna lay your horse down, son… Best be closer to the truck.” Boys all gathered ‘round, Glenn told it slow like it weren’t much, Just another night he’d found. No big tale, no softenin’ it, Just the truth the way it sat, Only thing he offered up… Was the wisdom after that. ⸻ Ol Glenn… folks shake their heads, Say times were hard and men were bred A different way back then, But down on that Ped.Er.Nalis (Pedernales), ‘Neath them stars and coyote tracks, He learned it once and said it plain… “Do your thinkin’… before you act.”