The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
And frankly there is nothing so unusual about being a Jewish cowboy
Cowboy
I’m a cowboy
On a trail to nowhere
All I have is a horse
Even he who could lead
If he broke free of this curse
All I got’s memories
They aren’t even mine
In the drag when wails
Till the song has gone away
At night I look to the stars
Well they say got it from me
At night I look to the stars
They say got it from me
Cowboy
I’m a cowboy
As I ride this road
The journey of my life
Through a world with no love
I stop and wonder why
Then I come to a town
And lay my saddle down
Then I turn
Want some peace
But there’s nowhere to be found
Ride like a tumbleweed, rollin free
At night I look to the stars
That’s when I heard a voice speak to me
“You are never alone”
Lailailailailailailailailai
At night I look to the stars
Lailailailailailailailailai
Well they say got it from me
This is straight from the horse’s mouth
We are buried treasure
Vagabonds traveled on graveled
Car battled on drugged for ever ever
This is straight from the horse’s mouth
We are buried treasure
Vagabonds traveled on graveled
Car battled on drugged for ever ever
Bounty on my head
Spurs on your feet
We are out-of-towners
The county gives us grief
On iron horses
We gallop at light speed
New sheriff from town
I still fit the description
So they stressing me
To doing like ashtrays
What they clever maintain
‘Cause I’m chosen
Like hieroglyphic inscriptions
To be decoded by those who ain't frozen (word up)
Cowboy
I’m a cowboy
Now there’s no tomorrow
Only yesterday
To live in the past
Is to ride your life away
I can feel in my bones
I will die all alone
Back down to the ground
Let the sage brush wait for me
Ride like a tumbleweed, rollin free
At night I look to the stars
That’s when I heard a voice speak to me
“You are never alone”
Lailailailailailailailailai
At night I look to the stars
Lailailailailailailailailai
Well they say got it from me
Cowboy
You are never alone
I’m a cowboy
(I got this off of someone who, I think is deaf and/or illiterate. I corrected it to the best of my abilities. Tell me if I screwed up)
Cowboy
I’m a cowboy
On a trail to nowhere
All I have is a horse
Even he who could lead
If he broke free of this curse
All I got’s memories
They aren’t even mine
In the drag when wails
Till the song has gone away
At night I look to the stars
Well they say got it from me
At night I look to the stars
They say got it from me
Cowboy
I’m a cowboy
As I ride this road
The journey of my life
Through a world with no love
I stop and wonder why
Then I come to a town
And lay my saddle down
Then I turn
Want some peace
But there’s nowhere to be found
Ride like a tumbleweed, rollin free
At night I look to the stars
That’s when I heard a voice speak to me
“You are never alone”
Lailailailailailailailailai
At night I look to the stars
Lailailailailailailailailai
Well they say got it from me
This is straight from the horse’s mouth
We are buried treasure
Vagabonds traveled on graveled
Car battled on drugged for ever ever
This is straight from the horse’s mouth
We are buried treasure
Vagabonds traveled on graveled
Car battled on drugged for ever ever
Bounty on my head
Spurs on your feet
We are out-of-towners
The county gives us grief
On iron horses
We gallop at light speed
New sheriff from town
I still fit the description
So they stressing me
To doing like ashtrays
What they clever maintain
‘Cause I’m chosen
Like hieroglyphic inscriptions
To be decoded by those who ain't frozen (word up)
Cowboy
I’m a cowboy
Now there’s no tomorrow
Only yesterday
To live in the past
Is to ride your life away
I can feel in my bones
I will die all alone
Back down to the ground
Let the sage brush wait for me
Ride like a tumbleweed, rollin free
At night I look to the stars
That’s when I heard a voice speak to me
“You are never alone”
Lailailailailailailailailai
At night I look to the stars
Lailailailailailailailailai
Well they say got it from me
Cowboy
You are never alone
I’m a cowboy
(I got this off of someone who, I think is deaf and/or illiterate. I corrected it to the best of my abilities. Tell me if I screwed up)
Lyrics submitted by Maggerz
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The first verse is actually: "On a trail to nowhere All I have is a horse Even he would leave If he broke free of this curse All I've got's memories They aren't even mine And the dry wind wails Till the song is blown away."
Katie Moore's part of the chorus is: "At night I look to the stars Will they say kaddish for me? At night I look to the stars (The poor ranger) Will they say kaddish for me? (Man who birds fly from high disguised as lines)"
Doris Glaspie's verse is almost completely correct. There's just one problem. It's: "Then I search for some peace But it's nowhere to be found."
Then it's the chorus: "Ride like a tumbleweed, rolling free At night I look to the stars That's when I heard a voice speak to me 'You are never alone!' Yadadadaidai daidaidai At night I look to the stars Yadadadaidai daidaidai Will they say kaddish for me?"
C-Rayz Walz as best as I can tell: "Yo this is straight from the horse's mouth We are buried treasure (Get on your saddle) Vagabonds travelin' on gravel ponds Battle on strong for ever ever ever.
Yo this is straight from the horse's mouth We are buried treasure (Get on your saddle) Vagabond travelin' on gravel ponds Battle on strong for ever ever ever.
Bounty on my head spurs on your feet We are the out-of-towners the county gives us grief On iron horses we gallop at light speed
New sheriff in town I still fit the description So they stressin' me to do 'em like ashtrays Put the clip in Cause I been chosen Like hieroglyphic inscriptions To be decoded by those who ain't frozen (Word up!)"
There is one error in Katie Moore's second verse: "Right down to the ground Like the sage brush before me."
Then there's the chorus.
And C-Rayz Walz has another verse. Which I honestly have issues decoding. But I did my best: "The poor ranger, see how the sun settin' on anger 'X' marks the spot for unknown danger Man who birds fly from high disguised as lines So bees bumble and the days stretch away and leave the weed tumble The kid’s Billy, fly filly, illy, the bop-bitty The hot hit he shot from the sound of something pretty Ever clear he won’t hook it in a straight line A circle in a square Point is, you’re stuck right there."
Then the chorus again.
The rap parts are really hard to get... my apologies if they're not correct.