The Cowboy Christmas Ball (Album Version)

The Cowboy Christmas Ball - Michael Martin Murphey

Way out in West Texas where the Clearfork waters flow

Where the cattle are a-browsing and them Spanish ponies grow

Where the northers come a-whistling and the old dust devils roll

And the prairie dogs are sneezing and freezing from the cold

Where the lonesome tawny prairies melt into the airy streams

And the double mountains slumber in the heavenly kind of dreams

Where the antelope are grazing and the lonesome plovers call

It was there that I attended the Cowboy Christmas Ball

The music was a fiddle and a lively tambourine

And a big bass violin imported by a stage from Abilene

Now the room was togged-out gorgeous with mistletoe and shawls

And the candles flickered frescos all around them merry walls

Well the womenfolk looked lonely and the boys looked kinda treed

'Til the leader commenced to yelling

Hey boys let's all stampede

And the music started sighing and a-wailing through the hall

As a kind of introduction to the Cowboy Christmas Ball

The leader was a feller that come from Swenson's Ranch

Yep they called him Windy Bill from Little Dead Man's Branch

When he commenced to holler

Now fellers stake your pen

Lock horns with all them heifers and wrestle 'em just like men

Salute them lovely critters now swing 'em and let 'em go

And climb the grapevine round and round now hands all do si do

You mavericks join the roundup just skip the waterfall

Boy it was getting active at the Cowboy Christmas Ball

The boys were tolerable skittish and the ladies powerful neat

That old bass violin music made us jump in with both feet

That wailing frisky fiddle I never will forget

And Windy Bill kept singing and I believe I hear him yet

Oh yes boys chase them squirrels cut 'em to the side

Doc Hollis to the center now 'cross P Charley's bride

Purr round you gentle kittens now rope and balance all

Hey it was getting happy at the Cowboy Christmas Ball

The dust rose fast and furious and we all just galloped round

'Til the scenery got so giddy that Z Bar Dick went down

We buckled to our partners and told 'em to hold on

And shook our hooves like lightning until the early dawn

Don't tell me about cotillions or polkas no siree

That whirl in Anson City it takes the cake for me

Oh Bill I won't forget you and I often will recall

That lively gaited soirée called the Cowboy Christmas Ball

Oh no I won't forget it

The Cowboy Christmas Ball

Woo