Intro - G A E5  
  
G A      E5  
  His eyes are cold and restless   
  
          A                           E5  
  and his wounds have almost healed.  
  
E5    A                  E5  
  And she'd give half of Texas   
  
          A                         E5  
  just to change the way he feels.  
  
  
  She knows his love's in Tulsa  
   
                 A7    
  and she know's he's gonna go.  
  
          E5  
  Well it ain't no woman, flesh and blood,  
  
  E7        B5  
  it's that damned old rodeo.  
  
  
Chorus:    
  
            E5  
  Well it's bulls and blood, it's the dust and mud  
  
           A5                  E5   E7/#9)  
  it's the roar of a sunday crowd.  
  
           E5  
  It's the white in his knuckles, the gold in the buckle  
  
        B5               D5  
  he'll win the next go 'round.  
  
  B5   E5  
  It's boots and chaps, it's cowboy hats,  
  
       A5                  E5  
  it's spurs and a latigo.    
  
  
  It's the ropes and the reins and the joy and the pain,  
  
               B5                E5  
  and they call the thing rodeo.  
  
  
VERSE 2:  
  
  She does her best to hold him  
  When his love comes to call.  
  But his need for it controls him  
  And her back's against the wall.  
  And it's "So long, girl, I'll see you."  
  When it's time for him to go.  
  You know the woman wants her cowboy  
  Like he  wants his rodeo.  
  (To Chorus:)  
  
VERSE 3:  
  
  It'll drive a cowboy crazy,  
  It'll drive a man insane.  
  And he'll sell off everything he owns  
  Just to pay to play the game.  
  And a broken home and some broken bones   
  Is all he'll have to show  
  For all the years that he spent chasin'  
  This dream they call rodeo.  
  (To Chorus:)  
  
E5  
  It's the broncs and the blood,  
  
  
  It's the steers and the mud,  
  
              B5                  E5  
  And they call the thing rodeo.  
  
  
  G  A   E5