[verse]

Badlands and grasslands

Sand dunes and blue lagoons

Old friends and dead ends

Winners and losers

Aren't we all the same when it concludes

[pre-chorus]

It's all very real

It's all very true

What they did to them

I'll now share with you

[chorus]

He tried to run

A lawman drew his gun

A mother lost her son

And I lost a friend again

[verse]

I learned to scream

Chasing that American dream

I sought peace in Red Rocks

But found only hard knocks

[pre-chorus]

Baby backs and gold stacks

Great men and their acts

Fire and ice

No bitterness in sight

He never caused her fright

It's been all very nice

[chorus]

He tried to run

A lawman drew his gun

A mother lost her son

And I lost a friend again

[verse]

High tides and long rides

Bright lights and black nights

She cooks with delight

And she's a lovely sight

[pre-chorus]

My granddaddy once said

You might not hear my thread

But you'll recall my words

Long after I'm gone

[chorus]

He tried to run

A lawman drew his gun

A mother lost her son

And I lost a friend again

[outro]