This Cowboy's Hat lyrics by Chris Ledoux, 9 meanings. This Cowboy's Hat explained, official 2024 song lyrics | LyricsMode.com
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Chris Ledoux – This Cowboy's Hat lyrics
(Spoken) Well there's always been groups of people that could never see eye to eye... An' I always thought if they'd get the chance to sit down and talk face to face they might realize they got a lot in common.....

Well I was sittin' in a coffee shop, just havin' a cup to pass the time.
Swappin' rodeo stories with this ole cowboy friend of mine.
When some motor-cycle riders started snickerin' in the back
Started pokin' fun at my friend's hat.
One ole boy said hey Tex, where'd you park your horse.
My friend just pulled his hat down low, but they couldn't be ingnored.
One husky fellow said, I think I'll rip that hat right off your head.
That's when my friend turned around, and this is what he said.....
You'll ride a black tornado, cross't the western sky
Rope an ole blue norther and milk it till it's dry
Bull dawg the Mississippi, pin it's ears down flat...
Long before you take this cowboy's hat....
Now partner, this ole hat is better left alone,
See it used to be my daddy's, but last year he passed on.
My nephew skinned the Rattler that makes up this ole hatband,
But back in 69 he died in Viet_nam
Now the eagle feather was given to me by an indian friend of mine
But someone ran him down somewheres round that Arizona line
And a real special lady gave me this hat pin
But I don't know if I'll ever see her again.
You'll ride a black tornado, cross't the western sky
Rope an ole blue norther and Milk it till it's dry
Bull dawg the Mississippi pin it's ears down flat
...
Long before you take this cowboy's hat
Now if your leather jacket means to you what this 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, man, you got my back up against the wall.
And if you touch my hat, your gonna have to fight us all...
Well, right then I caught a little sadness in that gang leaders eyes,
And he turned back t'wards the others and they all just sorta shuffled on outside
But when my friend turned back t'wards me, I noticed his old hat brim
Well it was turned up.. In a big ole texas grin
You'll ride a black tornado cross't the western skies
Rope an ole blue norther, milk it till it's dry
Bull dawg the Mississippi, pin it's ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat.
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Lyrics taken from /lyrics/c/chris_ledoux/this_cowboys_hat.html

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Songwriters: Jake Brooks
This Cowboy's Hat lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

This Cowboy's Hat meanings Post my meaning

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    People don't lilke to talk to other people and get to know them. Like he says if you actually talk to them you might relize you got somthing in common with them. These days people always stareotype peole alot. Its like people look at the worst part in a person when they don't talk to them. This might be confusing to understand but yiou have to read this a couple of time to get it. :)
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  • s
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    shedlock2000
    It means, there are more things involved in a cowboy, than his boots and horse. Being acowboy, is not just an occupation. It is engrained in your soul, and is part of your very being. His hat was part of his life, and had been touched by various important people in it. His father, his indian friend, his cousin, and his lost love. His hat is as much his life, as he is. And he would protect his hat (and his memories, and feelings) with every fiber of his soul, as it was part of him. He also makes reference to how his friends would also stand behind him, but not just for his hat, but what it signifies, and what it symbolises. And. Theres a little texas pride in there too.
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    The line “you’ll ride a black tornado cross the western sky” is him explaining that biker would have a better chance of literally riding a tornado than he would taking his hat.
    The line “bulldog the Mississippi and pen his ears down flat” is referring to a timed event in rodeos where a steer kept behind a gate will be turned loose and sprints across the arena. At which point a man on a horse will attempt to run it down and leaping from his running horse to grab the still sprinting steer (“bulldog”) by his horns in attempt to flip him on his back penning the cows ears to the ground. He’s saying the biker had a better chance of bulldogging the Mississippi River than taking his hat
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    I think most people reaching this page are looking more for direct meanings of general expressions used within this song that they may not be familiar with. For example, what do the following mean? Imagine you're explaining it to a British fellow that has no exposure to American culture whatsoever:
    "black tornado", "ole blue Northern", "bull dawg... pin it's ears down flat", "big ole Texas grin"

    I can help with the "ole blue norther" part at least, which is a colder current coming south into America from the north (Canada). As to catch with rope and extract some milk from a wind current is intrinsically impossible, I must also assume that the "black tornado" and to "bull dawg the Mississippi" are other common monikers used to illustrate similarly impossible tasks to emphasize the fight this Cowboy will put up to retain his property, which clearly has great sentimental value to him.

    The "Texas grin" is different, though. I can only imagine that it expresses the shape of a traditional cowboy hat with the brim forced directly upwards, in anticipation of needing that extra peripheral vision for the coming fight. I'd be grateful for either confirmation or correction of any of the above. Thanks!
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    I've read a lot of comments about the interpretations of this song and the comments on this page are as close as it gets. Though I did not know Chris Ledoux, I do know who wrote the song. Life takes you in many directions and often times the choices you make cause you to sacrifice things and people in your life. This song is about a father who made those choices, to be a cowboy, a lone wolf, and the family he sacrificed to live his life without them. Many of the characters, other than the lost love, in this song are truly references to his children and the items, the only pieces he had left, before leaving his life forever.
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    This song rings true in every sense. I myself have a hat I'm particularly fond of. Worn it everyday of my life as long as I can remember. It is a part if me. It's seen things and been places that no other hat could replace. And I know how the fella felt when they started pokin fun at him. I've been there before but in the end, once people hear you out, they realize youэre the same as them.
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    Life makes you who you are. People you choose to have has friends. Hearts you've broken; or who have broken yours. Family who gave you values that you hold dear and true. Everyone has them. God help the man that tries to take them away. It's a simple understanding that everyone has the same experiences and that is what shapes them. Hold true to who you are and understand that everyone else will do the same.
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    It's not about who you are inside, it's about how you look. It's what you are outside, not who you are inside. Too many people are superficial and judge on the surface, often negatively unfortunately. Like the song says, "understand each other" and the only way that's gonna happen is to get to know somebody. Get past the what outside and get to the who inside; but it takes effort and some are lazy and don't care.
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    If your here for the meaning of these lyrics its simple he is talking with an old rodeo friend. A "Black Tornado" is a bull, a "Blue Northern" is a long horn cow, and as far as the "Bull Dawg the Mississippi" goes I think he means crossing the Mississippi dead on with no hesitation.
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    Top meanings Post my meaning

    • U
      + 10
      Unregistered
      People don't lilke to talk to other people and get to know them. Like he says if you actually talk... Read more →
    • s
      + 7
      shedlock2000
      It means, there are more things involved in a cowboy, than his boots and horse. Being acowboy, is... Read more →

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