Night Rider's Lament - Nanci Griffith

While I was out a-ridin'

The graveyard shift midnight till dawn

The moon was as bright as a reading light

For a letter from an old friend back home

He asked me Why do you ride for your money?

Why do you rope for short pay?

You ain’t gettin’nowhere

And you’re losin’your share

Oh, you must’ve gone crazy out there

He said last night I ran into Jenny

They married and have a good life

Oh, you sure missed the track when you never came back

She made the perfect professional’s wife

They’ve never seen the northern lights

Never seen a hawk on the wing

Never seen the spring hit the Great Divide

And they ain’t ever heard old Camp Cookie sing

Now, I read up the last of my letter

And tore of the stamp for Black Jim

Little Dougie rode up to relieve me He just looked at my letter and grinned