[Intro | dusty 1920s phonograph crackle | sparse parlor guitar] [Verse 1 | female vocal | quavering, soulful, Appalachian twang] My heart broke a little when that cowboy rode away, Left his dust upon my doorway, left my skies a shade of gray. I still hear the creak of leather, fading hoofbeats down the ridge, Lord, he took my Sunday sunshine when he crossed that timber bridge. [Chorus | haunting | warm fiddle + banjo | vintage mic tone] My heart broke a little when that cowboy rode away, And my heart breaks a little more and more each day. Every dawn feels colder, every night won’t let me sleep, Oh the sorrow keeps on settling where his promises ran deep. [Verse 2 | softer delivery | parlor guitar + upright bass] I kept his coffee on the table, kept the lantern burning low, Kept pretending he'd come walking through that early morning glow. But the mountains hold their secrets, and the wind won’t say his name, Still it carries back the echo of a love I can’t reclaim. [Chorus | fuller harmony | fiddle soaring] My heart broke a little when that cowboy rode away, And my heart breaks a little more and more each day. There’s a hollow in the valley where his laughter used to ring, Now I only hear the quiet when I listen to the spring. [Bridge | trembling vocal | minimal instrumentation] If he finds a brighter sunrise far beyond this rugged land, May the good Lord keep him steady, may the rains not touch his hands. But if longing ever calls him, if the memories ever ache, He’ll know where to find me down this lonesome mountain break. [Final Chorus | emotional swell | stacked vintage harmonies] My heart broke a little when that cowboy rode away, And my heart breaks a little more and more each day. Still I keep the porch light glowing, though the nights grow tired and long— ’Cause a love like his can wander, but it never truly’s gone. [Outro | soft fiddle refrain | vinyl crackle fade]
