[Intro — fiddle and Telecaster over a steady full band shuffle] [Verse 1] We’d marked the tags the night before, Put the twenty in one pen. I walked that line at half-past four And counted ’em again. She swung back the big steel gate; The hauler eased on through. One old cow walked up beside me Like she always used to do. [Chorus] Twenty head at daybreak, Rollin’ down that county road. That’s a lot of early mornings In one dusty trailer load. There was hay to buy by Friday, And a bank note comin’ due. We were lettin’ go of twenty So the rest could make it through. [Turnaround — piano and pedal steel] [Verse 2] At the sale barn after dinner, We sat close without a word. Funny how your own stock sound Different from another herd. Then we stopped and paid the feed man, Made a payment on the loan. By sundown we were throwin’ hay To the herd we’d left at home. [Chorus] Twenty head at daybreak, Rollin’ down that county road. That’s a lot of early mornings In one dusty trailer load. There was hay to buy by Friday, And a bank note comin’ due. We were lettin’ go of twenty So the rest could make it through. [Instrumental — fiddle and Telecaster trade four bars each] [Bridge — drums ease back; acoustic guitar and bass keep the shuffle] I still looked for that old red cow When I pulled in with the hay. Then the ones we kept came crowdin’ up, And I fed ’em just the same. [Final Chorus — full band returns; warm harmonies] Twenty head at daybreak, Rollin’ down that county road. That’s a lot of early mornings In one dusty trailer load. There’s a load of hay for Friday, And a smaller balance due. We were lettin’ go of twenty So the rest could make it through. [Tag — hold the melody; pedal steel answers] We let twenty go at daybreak So the rest could make it through. [Outro — fiddle reprises the hook; steady shuffle into a full band ending] © 2026 Redneck Muslim. All rights reserved.
