The Riders of the Third Degree

ballad style like the song big iron crossed with tiny Keith's i should have been a cowboy

“The Riders of the Third Degree” — Original Ballad Lyrics
(Oklahoma Masonic Cowboy Degree Team)

Verse 1  
Out on the plains where the tall grass bends,  
Where the stories ride farther than the trail ever ends,  
There’s a circle of brothers who gather at night,  
In dust‑worn coats and lantern light.  
With spurs that whisper history and boots that carry creed,  
They stand as cowboys sworn to the Master’s need.

Chorus  
They’re the Riders of the Third Degree,  
Guardians of the ancient key.  
In the lodge or on the prairie wind,  
Their oath don’t break, it only bends.  
From Oklahoma soil to eternity,  
They ride for truth, in harmony—  
The cowboy sons of Masonry.

Verse 2  
Their hats are shaped by weather and time,  
Their pistols are props, but their purpose is prime.  
They walk the candidate steady and slow,  
Through the lessons every Mason ought to know.  
And when the drama deepens and the shadows fall,  
Their voices rise like a cattle call.

Bridge  
No marble pillars, no city halls,  
Just wooden floors and echoing walls.  
But the light they raise could guide a man home,  
Like a star on the range where the buffalo roam.

Verse 3  
When the work is done and the lights burn low,  
They shake the dust from their coats and go.  
But the spirit they leave in that sacred space  
Is the kind you feel, not the kind you trace.  
For every brother they’ve helped to see  
Walks taller in the fraternity.

Final Chorus  
They’re the Riders of the Third Degree,  
Guardians of the ancient key.  
In the lodge or on the prairie wind,  
Their oath don’t break, it only bends.  
From Oklahoma soil to eternity,  
They ride for truth, in harmony—  
The cowboy sons of Masonry.

1962/7500

“The Riders of the Third Degree” — Original Ballad Lyrics (Oklahoma Masonic Cowboy Degree Team) Verse 1 Out on the plains where the tall grass bends, Where the stories ride farther than the trail ever ends, There’s a circle of brothers who gather at night, In dust‑worn coats and lantern light. With spurs that whisper history and boots that carry creed, They stand as cowboys sworn to the Master’s need. Chorus They’re the Riders of the Third Degree, Guardians of the ancient key. In the lodge or on the prairie wind, Their oath don’t break, it only bends. From Oklahoma soil to eternity, They ride for truth, in harmony— The cowboy sons of Masonry. Verse 2 Their hats are shaped by weather and time, Their pistols are props, but their purpose is prime. They walk the candidate steady and slow, Through the lessons every Mason ought to know. And when the drama deepens and the shadows fall, Their voices rise like a cattle call. Chorus They’re the Riders of the Third Degree, Guardians of the ancient key. In the lodge or on the prairie wind, Their oath don’t break, it only bends. From Oklahoma soil to eternity, They ride for truth, in harmony— The cowboy sons of Masonry. Bridge No marble pillars, no city halls, Just wooden floors and echoing walls. But the light they raise could guide a man home, Like a star on the range where the buffalo roam. Verse 3 When the work is done and the lights burn low, They shake the dust from their coats and go. But the spirit they leave in that sacred space Is the kind you feel, not the kind you trace. For every brother they’ve helped to see Walks taller in the fraternity. Final Chorus They’re the Riders of the Third Degree, Guardians of the ancient key. In the lodge or on the prairie wind, Their oath don’t break, it only bends. From Oklahoma soil to eternity, They ride for truth, in harmony— The cowboy sons of Masonry.

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