He'd take the taste of dust over fine wine anytime From bustin' broncs and bucks And all the pain from all the falls never seemed to show at all 'Cause he's just get right back up That's what a cowboy was He wore leather boots denim jeans and a flannel shirt He didn't need to carry much He was up with the sun down with the moon And he'd sing to the stars a little out of tune And every now and then he'd cuss That's what a cowboy was And he believed in love And in a God above He didn't have to act tough Naw, 'cause that was in his blood But the world has changed The way it always does It's gettin' hard to be What a cowboy was Now the city streets and the central parks And the high rise ivory towers Have cleared the barbed wire and the brush And the coyote cries himself to sleep at night 'Cause he can't see the camp fire lights Or hear the sound of the clinkin' cups Where the cowboy was And he believed in love And in a God above He didn't have to act tough Naw, 'cause that was in his blood But the world has changed The way it always does It's gettin' hard to be What a cowboy was This world has changed The way this ol' world does It's gettin' hard to be What a cowboy was