Well I was sitting in a roadhouse havin' a cup to pass the time
Swapping rodeo stories with a few old territory friends of mine
When some motorcycle riders started snickering in the back
They were pokin' fun at my friends hat
Well one old boy said 'Hey Tex where'd you park your horse'
My friend just turned his hat down low but they couldn't be ignored
Then one husky fella said 'I think I'll rip that hat right off your head'
That's when my friend turned 'round and this is what he said
CHORUS
You'll ride a black tornado across the western sky
You'll rope an old blue norther and milk it 'til it's dry
Bulldog the Diamantina pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat
VERSE 2
Now this old hat is better left alone
You see it used to be my father's but last year he passed on
My Uncle skinned the red belly black that makes up this ol' hat band
But back in '69 he was killed in Vietnam
Now the eagle feather was given to me by an old aboriginal friend of mine
But someone run him down somewhere up around that Nothern Territory line
And a real special lady gave me this hat pin
But I don't know if I'm ever going to see her again
REPEAT CHORUS
Now if your leather jacket means to you what this old hat means to me
Then I guess we understand each other and we'll just let it be
But if you still think it's funny then you've got my back up against the wall
And if you touch my hat then you're gonna have to fight us all
Well right then and there I noticed a little sadness in the gang leader's eyes
He turned back toward the others and they all just shuffled on outside
But when my friend turned back towards me I noticed his hat brim
Well it was turned up in a big old Territory grin
REPEAT CHORUS