Little Joe The Wrangler

Chris LeDoux · Other Songs - Chris LeDoux

Little Joe the wrangler he'll wrangle never more



His days with the remuda they're all done



It was long about last April he rode into our camp



Just a little Texas stray and all alone



It was long late in the evening when he rode into our camp



On a little old brown pony he called Shaw



In his brogan shoes and coveralls a harder lookin' kid



You never in you life have seen before



His saddle was a Sother kack built many years ago



An OK spur on one foot idly hung



With his bed roll in a cotton sack was loosely tied behind



And a canteen from the saddle horn he'd slung



Said he had to leave his home because his paw had married twice



His new maw beat him every day or two



So he saddled up old Shaw one night and lit a shuck this way



Thought he'd try and paddle now his own canoe



Said he'd try to do the best he could if we'd only give him work



Though he didn't know straight up about a cow



So the boss he cut him out a mount and kinda put him on



And we knew he liked our little stray somehow



Well he taught him how to heard the horses and learned to know 'em all



And to get 'em in by daylight if he could



And to follow the chuck wagon and to always hitch the team



And to help the carsonaro rustle wood



We had driven to Red River and the weather it was fine



We were camped down on the south side of the bend



When a Norther started blowin' we called the extra guard



Cause it took all hands to hold the cattle in



Now little Joe the wrangler was called out like the rest



Barely had the kid got to the heard



When the cattle they stampeded like a hailstorm on they flew



With all of us a ridin' for the lead



Between the streaks of lightnin' we could see a horse ahead



It was little Joe the wrangler in the lead



He was riding old Blue Rocket with a slicker o'er his head



And he's trying to check the leaders in their speed.



We finally got'em millin' and they sort of quieted down



The extra guard back to the camp did go



But one of them was missing and we all knew at a glance



Twas our little Texas strayboy wrangler Joe



We found him there at sun up where old Blue Rocket fell



In some washout twenty feet below



Beneath his horse smashed to a pulphis spur had rung the knell



For our little Texas stray bos wrangler Joe



Little Joe the wrangler he'll wrangle never more



His days with the remuda they're all done



It was long about last April he rode into our camp



Just a little Texas stray and all alone