Times went to hell when they took the hitchin’ post Painted them lines for the cars to park Swingin’ doors are gone Everybody’s got a telephone The wild west done turned pitch dark Some folks forget what the prairie taught You can’t rope truth if your knot ain’t taut A man’s only worth the word he gives And “you ride for the brand” if you want to live All hat, no cattle Empty heads where brains go rattle Squattin’ on spurs, that dog won’t hunt Drinkin’ downstream from the herd The city folk want to act like us But they’re all hat… no cattle Used to be a handshake sealed the deal Now they talk slick ’bout how they feel But talk is cheap as desert sand If you can’t stand firm like a good-built man Cowboy wisdom ain’t just old noise It’s blood and grit, it’s dust and poise “You cain’t rope the wind,” my pap paw said, “But you can face it with your hat on your head.” You can’t climb a tall fence ridin’ a short horse You can’t fake grit, it’ll show up of course You can polish your boots till they shine like glass But you can’t hide the truth when the cows walk past All hat, no cattle Empty heads where brains go rattle Squattin’ on spurs and that dog won’t hunt Drinkin’ downstream from the herd The city folk want to act like us But they’re all hat… no cattle Yeah the west still speaks if you’ll stop and listen— But most folks miss it while the dust is risin’. Yeah... yeah.... all hat, no cattle
