Don Edwards - The Long Road West lyrics

Once I heard a Hobo, singing by the tie-trail Squatting by the red rail rusty with the dew Singing of the firelight, singing of the high-trail And singing to the morning for the dawn broke through Saddle, rail, or pack-sack, any way you take it Choose a pal and try him, on your own is best Sand, clay, or cinders, any way you make it Looking for tomorrow down the long road West Far across the ranges, over where the sea swings Battering the raw ledge, booming up the sand There I heard a sailor telling what the sea sings Sings to every sailor as he longs for land When you've saved your cash, when you've done your hitch, sir Holystone and hardtack, buckle to the test When you're back in port, your feet begin to itch, sir Think about tomorrow and the long road West Slowly came a cowboy riding round the night-herd And silver was the starlight, slender was the moon Then I heard him singing, lonely as a night-bird His pony's head a-nodding to his strange little tune Wind, rain and sunshine, every kind of weather Sweating on the mesa, freezing on the crest And me and just my shadow, jogging on together Jogging on together down that long road West Now lazy was the cool stream slipping through the far light And shadowing the buckthorn high along the hill And when I heard a bird sing softly in the starlight And singing in the evening when the trees were still Valley, range, and high trail, mesa, bu*te and river Sun across the lowlands, rolling down to rest And there'll always be a skyline, running on forever Running on forever, down the long road West