He was tougher than leather 
And he didn't care whether 
The sun shined or not
When a young kid in Cow Town 
Wanted a showdown
He was careless or just maybe forgot
But he died in the gunfight 
Blinded by sunlight 
Never draw when you're facin' the sun
And old tougher than leather 
Just carved one more notch on his gun

And when he turned to go 
The beautiful maiden knelt down
Where her dead sweetheart lay
And on his breast placed a rose 
While the townspeople stared in dismay
And old tougher than leather 
Should've known better
But he picked up the rose in his hand
And the townspeople froze 
When his hands crushed the rose
And the rose petals fell in the sand

And old tougher than leather 
Was a full-time go-getter
The grass never grew beneath his feet
From one town to another 
He would ride like the wind
But his mind kept going back to the street
Where a young cowboy died 
And a young maiden cried
And rose petals fell in the sand
And his heart had been softened 
By the beautiful maid
And he knew he must see her again

Well he went back to the town 
Where it all had come down
And he searched but his search was in vain
He had wanted to find her
And say he was sorry
For causing her heart so much pain
But one night he died from a poison inside
Brought on by the wrong he had done
And old tougher than leather 
Had carved his last notch on his gun

Well he was burried in Cow Town 
Along about sundown
Lookin' good in his new store-bought clothes
When the young maiden came over 
And knelt down beside him
And on his lapel placed a rose
There's a bird in the sky 
Flying high, flying high
To a place from a place 
Changing skies, changing skies