Cowboys on the road tonight
Crying in their sleep
If I was a hungry man with a gun in my hand,
And some promises to keep,
Who wanted to change the world,
What's as easy as murder?
It's all headlights and vapour trails
And Circle K killers

And I know I could look at anyone but you now
I could fall under the eyes of anyone
But you now, now, now, now

So come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
Come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now

This is a list of what I should have been
But I'm not
This is a list of the things that I should have seen
But I'm not seeing
The look in your eyes
As his fingertips slid down your neck
And made you shiver
I'm just turning away from where I should have been
Because I am not anything
Oh, anything, oh

The President's in bed tonight
But he can't get to sleep
'Cause all the cowboys on the radio are killers
And I believe she loves you
'Cause you never make her feel like anything
She said, "I wouldn't feel a thing,
But I can feel, I can feel

And I know I could look at anyone but you now
I could fall under the arms of anyone
But you now, now, now, now

So come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
Come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now

This is a list of what I should have been
But I'm not
This is a list of the things that I should have seen
But I am not seeing
The look in your eyes
As his fingers are unzipping your dress
And it makes you shiver
I'm just turning away from what I shouldn't see
Because I am not anything
Oh, anything, no

Everyone's in bed tonight
But nobody can sleep
'Cause all the satellites are watching through our windows
She says she doesn't love me, like, like she's acting
But it's as if she isn't talking
'Cause Mr. Lincoln's head is bleeding
On the front row while she's speaking

I said, "come on all you cowboys,
All you blue-eyed baby boys,
Oh come on all you dashing gentlemen of summer,
I'll wait for you where Saturday's a memory,
And Sunday comes to gather me,
Into the arms of God who welcome me,
Because I believe, oh I believe

And I know I could look at anyone but you now
I could fall under the eyes of anyone
But you now, now, now, now

So come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
Come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now

This is a list of what I should have been
But I'm not
This is a list of the things that I should have seen
But I'm not seeing you look at me
So please, won't you look at me?
'Cause I'm not seeing you look at me
Oh, oh, I, I will make you look at me
Or I am not anything
Oh, anything
No no no no
No no no no
No, no


Lyrics submitted by Pepsi90919, edited by Cowboy1979, Rahs

Cowboys Lyrics as written by David Lynn Bryson James Bogios

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Cowboys song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    Im not an american, I'm actually Mexican and I hope I don't offed anyone but here are my thoughts:

    I think this is in many ways a big republican bash. Adam mentions cowboys on the radio (republican talk shows), he mentiones "blue-eyed baby boys" (George Bush), he mentiones the president not being able to sleep because those cowboys are killers (many republicans are pro Irak)...

    He also talkes about nobody being able to sleep beacuse of the satellites (general fear of terrorism and uncertainty in the US)...

    I think he can't look at america right now, he feels he is nothing as an american, he knows the country weeps ("but I can feel, I can feel") and looks for comfort in religion ("God who'll welcome me cause I believe"; some very conservative republicans cling to religion as justifcation for questionable actions)

    I think his whole album is a kind of cry of dissapointment because of the way america's culture the natoin's political sistem have gone awry in some aspects.

    In several other songs from the album he brings up themes related to america's past and present ("I'm a Russian-Jew american native african what I would like to be is Indian Jamaican", or something like that can be heard in 1492) and ("why'de you wanna talk to me when your vision of america is crystaline clean" he sings in Micheallangelo)...

    I don't think Adam hates his country (He keeps singing about Omaha and Reno and Miami and all sorts of american destinations) but I do think he has a list of "what it should have been" and right nos is not, he'se just "not seeing it"..

    Anyways, my thoughts

    Mikeyvillarrealon September 15, 2008   Link

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