Red Steagall - When the Cimarron Was Red and on the Rise by Red Steagall lyrics

Riding back to Texas from a ride to Abilene With the wagon, the remuda and the crew The Cimarron was boiling red and rising by the hour It was suicide to push the horses through Cotty Bill was pining by his Darling Anna Lee He left her crying back in San Anton A thousand times he red the note he carried in his jeans “Cotty, darling, won't you hurry home” But trailing longhorn cattle is a life at wild and free And the prairie is a puncher's paradise But it was dark and deadly in the spring of '83 When the Cimarron was red and on the rise We were at the wagon playin' cards and tellin' lies When he announced that he was goin' on We told him he was crazy, he would never make it through But Cotty smiled and saddled up the roan Then I made him a promise; I'd look after Anna Lee In case he didn't make it through the night He turned his collar to the wind and bid us ‘adios' And whistling Dixie he ruled out of sight And trailing longhorn cattle is a life at wild and free But the devil is playing hell in paradise Cause it was dark and deadly in the spring of '83 When the Cimarron was red and on the rise It was nearly seven days before we got across The roan was in the shadow of a hill He was skinned from head to toe and covered up with mud But there was not a sing of Cotty Bill Oh, I guess we knew that he was gone when we looked anyhow The road for a mile and searched on either side We combed the brush and dragged our ropes in every waterhole But Cotty Bill had taken his last ride And I kept my promise and I married Anna Lee And the boy we're raising has his daddy's eyes Someday I'll tell him more about the spring of ‘83 When the Cimarron was red and on the rise Cause it was dark and deadly in the spring of '83 When the Cimarron was red and on the rise --- .