I'll bet you've never heard ole Marshall Dillon say
Miss Kitty have you ever thought of running away
Settling down, would you marry me
If I asked you twice and begged you pretty please
She'd have said yes in a New York minute
They never tied the knot
His heart wasn't in it
He just stole a kiss as he rode away
He never hung his hat up at Kitty's place
I should've been a cowboy
I should've learned to rope and ride
Wearing my six-shooter, riding by pony on a cattle drive
Stealing a young girl's heart
Just like Gene and Roy
Singing those rodeo songs
Oh I should've been a cowboy
I might of had a side kick with a funny name
Running wild through the hills chasing Jesse James
Ending up on the brink of danger
Riding shotgun for the Texas Rangers
California's full of whisky, women and gold
Sleeping out all night beneath the desert stars
A dream in my eye and a prayer in my heart
I should've been a cowboy
I should've learned to rope and ride
Wearing my six-shooter, riding by pony on a cattle drive
Stealing a young girl's heart
Just like Gene and Roy
Singing those campfire songs
Oh I should've been a cowboy