Talkin' Veterinarian Blues

(альбом: Losin' Lately Gambler - 2009)

Well, my daddy's a vet and if I was one too, the one thing he always taught me to do was get paid, cash money
Jam and eggs is a kind enough thank you, but not for the bookkeeper, not for the banker
The margin's thin on treating large animals unless it's a purebred or, more understandable, a racehorse of some kind
You see son, city folks pay a high dollar to make sure fido ain't hot under the collar, that's where the money is
Boutique animal hospitals, shopping malls, cocker spaniels, pomeranians; hang your shingle

There was a blind old woman brings in a bird with a busted wing and somewhere she heard we were good doctors
That night it died in the cage, under our care of unknown cause but we'll make it square, these things happen
Only one cure though, quick trip to the pet store
Well, morning come, didn't want to upset her; for her own good I didn't see a need to tell her
"Not only you boys fixed his wing, but it appears as though you taught him to sing, you are good doctors!
He ain't never sung before, I've had him for years!"

When you've been in the business as long as I have, you begin to consider the plight of the calves
Fun loving, frolicking, carefree little critters
The first few months ain't all that bad, they'll never forget the good times they had
But then comes fall and branding times, stuck in the ribs with a red hot iron
Tag in the ear, shots in the hip, the dehorning paste and snip, snip, snip
Welcome to the world, little buddy, it's no picnic

I've treated my share of sugar beet chokes, if it gets too bad you gotta cut the throat and salvage the carcass
Dress him out on the spot
This one old steer, he choked real bad, in the corner of the pen he's mighty mad
I poked at the beet, it wouldn't dislodge, the farmer says, "I got a dull knife back at the garage"
I said "go get it!" gotta save the meat
I made the jugular cut, the steer jumped to his feet, shook his head and coughed up the beet
Stood there and bled to death in front of his owner
"Thank you, doc... what do I owe ya?"

Well, that's how it goes with the sugar beet chokes just don't get me started on... alfalfa bloats