Lyrics Nanci Griffith – Night Rider’s Lament

While I was out a-ridin’
The graveyard shift midnight till dawn
The moon was as bright as a reading light
For a letter from an old friend back home

And he asked me
Why do you ride for your money?
Why do you rope for short pay?
You ain’t gettin’ nowhere
And you’re losin’ your share
Oh, you must’ve gone crazy out there

He said last night I ran into Jenny
They married and have a good life
Oh, you sure missed the track when you never came back
She made the perfect professional’s wife

And he asked me
Why do you ride for your money?
Why do you rope for short pay?
You ain’t gettin’ nowhere
And you’re losin’ your share
Oh, you must’ve gone crazy out there

They’ve never seen the northern lights
They’ve never seen a hawk on the wing
They’ve never seen the spring hit the Great Divide
And they never heard old Camp Cookie sing

I read up the last of my letter
And tore off the stamp for Black Jim
Little Dougie rode up to relieve me
He just looked at my letter and grinned

And he asked me
Why do they ride for their money?

They’ve never seen the northern lights
They’ve never seen a hawk on the wing
They’ve never seen the spring hit the Great Divide
And they never heard old Camp Cookie sing