G                                        C 
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO TIMES WERE HARDER 
G                                            D 
PUSHIN’ HORNS UP NORTH TO MEET THE TRAIN 
G                                                         C 
THE COWBOYS ON THE DRIVE THOUGHT THEY WERE LUCKY 
                G                   F 
THEY HAD A JOB THAT PAID ‘EM CASH 
             Am             D                      G 
AND THEY ONLY HAD TO LAST, THROUGH THE PAIN 
 
THE LONLIEST JOB OF ALL WAS THE NIGHTGUARD 
 
THE COWS AND MOON AND STARS WERE HIS WHOLE WORLD 
 
HE’D SING A SOFT REFRAIN TO THE CATTLE 
 
BUT HE COULDN’T KEEP HIS MIND 
 
FROM DREAMIN’ ALL THE TIME, OF HIS GIRL 
 
CHORUS: 
Em                            C                 G                       C 
SOME OF HIS NIGHTS WERE EASY, WHEN THE WEATHER LEFT HIM ALONE 
Em                    C                                      G                       D 
OTHER NIGHTS OF RAIN AND HAIL LEFT HIM FROZEN TO THE BONE 
             Em                         C 
WHEN THE LIGHTNIN’ HIT AND THE CATTLE BROKE, 
       G                                       C 
LORD KNOWS THERE WAS HELL TO PAY 
            G                      F             Am              D 
AND HE’D CHASE ‘EM DOWN ALL NIGHT, AND PRAY FOR THE LIGHT 
          G             F       Am      D 
OF THE DAY 
 
SOMETIMES THE NIGHTGUARD DIDN’T MAKE IT 
 
WHEN THE RIVER OR A LONGHORN TOOK HIS LIFE 
 
AND GONE WERE HIS DREAMS OF THE FUTURE 
 
OF GETTING’ OFF THE TRAIL, AND MAKIN’ THAT LITTLE GIRL, HIS WIFE