Talkin' prairie boy

My buddy's old man is back on the booze
He's swinging a driver at a big bull moose
That keeps gettin' on the goddamn property
Or so he says

Cigarettes are expensive and whisky ain't cheap
Winters are bitter, but the summers are sweet
And you can get some honestly-priced smokes over at the rez
If you're so inclined

Most of my time's spent in a big blue van
Just travellin' the country with a five-piece band
Pick a little for the folks and sing when I can
Granted, I'm sober

And other days are meant for chorin'
Just workin' at the ranch to stave off boredom
And keepin' the calves from finding new ways to keel over
Just livin' the dream

I was coolin' my heels down in Tennessee
Post 82 some buddies and me
And we were shootin' the shit
Till we ran outta ammunition
Some dude overheard from across the room
And instead of mindin' his own he just assumed
He'd sit down next us and join in on the conversation
Brought over some kinda beer, something called a IPA

He's a Nashville kid in a cowboy hat
And he couldn't tell a shoelace from a lariat
And the furthest west he'd ever been was Ohio

He's talkin' to me says he's looking for work
And he didn't mind gettin' some dirt on his shirt
And would I be so kind as to hire him on, "well oh my oh"
Surprised he didn't bring a resume

He said but if you're doin' fence, then I ain't for hire
And if you're doin' hay, then frankly I wouldn't conspire
To ask me about doin' that either

I said “what are you good for? ” and he said "Plenty"
I could see this conversation wasn't going any which way
And figured I'd do well just to leave here
So long buddy, keep your IPAs

Yeah, this city life has sure got me tired
And its hard for a prairie boy to admire
All the concrete and the towerin' skyscrapers
So just as soon as I'm able to find my hat
I believe I'll leave and head on back home
Where the tallest buildings are all grain elevators
Long gone to Saskatchewan

Yeah I'm outta this place and bound for the farm
And I'm not takin' no greenhorn along
I have a hard enough time just keepin' track of myself

But if you're down in Nashville and tryin' to look cool
But you can't tell a pretty palomino from a mule
Take my advice and leave the buckaroo hat on the shelf

Heh, heh, heh