That's How It Is On the Range

The antelope leaps, the hoot owls asleep
Then he wonders through, that all
Clouds race by, smell rain but its dry
That's how it is on the range

Silence is king, every sound rings
Even his own darn whistle
But mostly it's still and that's all that fills
The air as he rides on the range


Jack rabbit darts, blue grouse starts
The roll of some distant thunder
It won't stay long, Its moving along
That's how it is on the range
That's how it is on the range

He's searching around, then catches the sound
The lilt of a laughing woman
He listens again, then sees that sage hen
He shivers and knows he’s alone


Dark clouds roll in, its darker than sin
He heads for a rock overhang
The rain comes down fast but he knows it won't last
That's how it is on the range
That's how it is on the range

He finds what is left of a camp in the cleft
A campfires ancient reminder
He sifts through the sand, finds prints from small hands
Lays shards out, then leaves them behind

Life is so rare, but persistent out there
The desert is open and true
We make a small mark, then fade in the dark
That's how it is on the range
That's how it is on the range
That's how it is on the range