When the Cimarron Was Red and on the Rise

Riding back to Texas from a drive to Abilene
With the wagon, the remuda and the crew
The Cimarron was boilin' red and risin' by the hour
It was suicide to push the horses through
Now Cody Bill was pinin' bout his darlin' Anna Lee
He'd left her cryin' back in San Antone
The thousand times he'd read the note he carried in his jeans
"Cody darlin' won't you hurry home."

Now trailin' longhorn cattle is a life that's 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' home
We told him he was crazy he would never make it through
But Cody 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 whistlin' Dixie he rode out of sight

And trailin' longhorn cattle is a life that's wild and free
But the devil's playin' 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 sign of Cody Bill
Oh I guess we knew that he was gone but we looked anyhow
We rode for miles and searched on either side
We combed the brush and drug our ropes through every water hole
But Cody Bill had taken his last ride

And I've kept my promise and I married Anna Lee
And the boy we're raisin' has his daddy's eyes
Someday I'll tell him all 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