Out in the state of west Texas Old cowboys, they all gathered 'round A family of friends from all over To spread his ashes around In the stirrups his boots were tied backwards Buell led his horse up the trail You had to be there, he was cast in the air I'll remember the rest of my days Way out in that desert terrain They scattered his ashes on the plains On a painted plateau,we had to let go Of a man we were all glad to know Cowboy Franky played fiddle He had a great tear in his eye A friend, he had gone but he picked his own home A god place to rest when he died Now he's just dist in the wind He'd been every place that I've been In spite of injustice he always stood tall He'd a done it all over again He was not a man of great fortune Born of a mixture in race French and Indian, Irish and black He was slighted by all in disgrace As a playwright his friend addressed the troubles of men He won a great prize of his day But his true friends were always the cowboys You heard nothing from them but their praise The song that was sung was one of farewell Goodbye to the friend we'd known well A great man had died in west Texas Gone to heaven from a life lived in hell The cowboys' lament to his spirit So moved me Icould not speak a word Dust in the wind is what he became I'll never forget what I heard Now he's just dust in the wind He'd been every place that I've been In spite of injustice he always stood tall He'd a done it all over again