Photo Finish

(album: Rodeo Songs "Old & New" - 1973)

At seven this morning I got on the phone and said to hold my Bronc as long as you can
My car broke down in Billings and they just got it back together
I'll be photo finishing in to old Cheyenne
We'll here I am in Sheridan and its 9 o'clock in the morning and times a going fast
I just pulled her over had some coffee and a donut and I bought the car a brand new tank of gas
Well I don't know if I'm gonna make it, its nine-fifteen
I'll be lucky if I ever get there
By god what it that I hear, is it a siren, sure enough he got me on his radar
He pulled up behind me and turned on those flashing lights a sign that I knew meant pull it over
So I stomped on my brakes and as I skidded to a halt, I wiped out three reflector posts along the shoulder
He got outta his car and was a walkin real slow so I jumped out and met him half-way
He jerked out his gun and said mister are you crazy, I ain't never seen nobody drive that way
I told him take it easy and he could put up that cannon the way he was shakin it just might go off
He put up the gun as I explained my situation he listened to my story then he coughed
He wrote me out a ticket, that seemed to take forever. I took it and as I headed for my car
That cop he hollered after me and said Hey cowboy you better slow down cause you can't outrun this radar!
As I rolled on down the road I was a cursin and a swearing about the ticket that I had just acquired
I wondered if I ought to pay it our just throw it out the window, but I might just set the damn thing afire
So I gunned it once again and was a traveling down the highway with the gas pedal a mashed to the floor
When I came around a curve and right there in the highway there was more damn sheep than I ever seen before
I'm going to fast to ever stop, so I just close my eyes as the car rolls on through the herd
When I opened up my eyes again there's a sheep on the fender and that and that herds saying some mighty awful words
The sweats a drippin off my hands as I barrel through old Wheatland I'm a nervous wreck and I must be a sight
The flies inside this old car are buzzin all around me.
Guess my 24-hour deoderant quit last night
60 50 40 30 20 miles more the rodeo starts in another 18 minutes
I pull in through the main gate and I hear the anthem playing,
I can't believe it thank God I finally made it
There's only one more obstacle a standing in my way.
Its a nitwit with a weekend badge
He standing by the gate and as I slide her to a halt,
He yells where in the hell you goin so dog gone fast
I tell him that I'm entered and I ain't got time to talk
My horse is in the chute and i'm late
He says I need to get a pass from the secretary my eyes get red my heart fills up with hate.
I yell you dirty so and so you better let me through he asked if I'd repeat that once again
So I whacked him in the mouth and a left him lyin there on his back a kicking in the sand
I got there just in time to see my Bronc come runnin out his head and tail was a held way up high
I swear he looked right straight at me and grinned and gave horse laugh and me I just stood there and cried I turned around feelin helpless and fairly dumbfounded
I looked and what did I see 3 highway patrolmen and a gateman with a fat lip and
They were all a lookin right at me
Sittin in the cell now I've done a lot of thinkin about that wild run I made a month ago
I'm sorry that I'm in this rotten situation
If I could do it again I wouldn't have drove so slow
If I could do it again I wouldn't have drove so slow