The Cowboy Song – English Lyrics

• By: Bryant Oden
• Album: The Songdrops Collection, Vol. 2

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the charm of simple, narrative songwriting with Bryant Oden's "The Cowboy Song." This tune offers a lighthearted and amusing look into a child's imagination, making it a fun way to learn descriptive and comparative vocabulary in English. Its clear and simple lyrics are perfect for language learners to follow along and sing.

[English]

You know I'd love to be a cowboy

Just me and my trusty horse named Fred

And a thousand noisy cows around us

We'd make sure they were all happy and fed

And I wouldn't have to brush my teeth

Wouldn't have to wash my hair

And if I got real stinky there'd be no one there to care

I wouldn't have to go to school, clean my room or sweep the floor

The life of a cowboy, who could ask for more?

Every meal I'd fix myself burnt bacon and beans

And I'd spill bad coffee on my dusty old jeans

I'd never be lonely 'cause of all the mosquitoes and the flies

To me it sounds like it would be cowboy paradise

'Cause I wouldn't have to brush my teeth

Wouldn't have to wash my hair

And if I got real stinky, there'd be no one there to care

I wouldn't have to go to school, clean my room or sweep the floor

The life of a cowboy, who could ask for more?

At night I'd have to be careful where I put my blanket down

'Cause of all the cactus and the cowpies all around

And the coyotes would be howling all night long

I'd join in singing this old cowboy song

Nothing would ever be wrong

'Cause I wouldn't have to brush my teeth

Wouldn't have to wash my hair

And if I got real stinky, there'd be no one there to care

I wouldn't have to go to school, clean my room or sweep the floor

The life of a cowboy, who could ask for more?

The life of a cowboy, who could ask for more?

The life of a cowboy is the life for me, I'm sure

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cowboy /ˈkaʊbɔɪ/ A1	noun - a person who works on a ranch, especially in the western United States, and who traditionally rides a horse and looks after cattle.
horse /hɔːrs/ A1	noun - a large, four-legged animal that is used for riding or for pulling heavy things.
cows /kaʊz/ A1	noun - a fully grown female animal of a domesticated breed of the species Bos taurus, used for producing milk or beef.
happy /ˈhapi/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure; pleased.
fed /fed/ A2	verb - past tense of feed: give food to.
teeth /tiːθ/ A1	noun - hard, bony enamel-covered structures in the jaws of vertebrates, used for biting and chewing.
hair /hɛər/ A1	noun - a mass of fine threads growing from the skin of a human or animal.
stinky /ˈstɪŋki/ B1	adjective - smelling unpleasant.
school /skuːl/ A1	noun - an institution for educating children.
room /ruːm/ A1	noun - a space that can be used for a particular purpose.
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
meal /miːl/ A1	noun - an occasion when food is eaten.
coffee /ˈkɒfi/ A1	noun - a drink made from roasted coffee beans.
jeans /dʒiːnz/ A1	noun - trousers made of denim or other sturdy cotton fabric, for informal wear.
lonely /ˈləʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company.
mosquitoes /məˈskiːtoʊz/ B1	noun - a slender long-legged fly with a long proboscis with which the female sucks blood from animals and humans.
flies /flaɪz/ A1	noun - a two-winged insect. verb - past tense of fly: move through the air using wings.
paradise /ˈpærədaɪs/ B1	noun - an ideal or idyllic place or state.
cacti /ˈkæktaɪ/ B1	noun - a fleshy desert plant with spines but without leaves.
coyotes /kaɪˈoʊti/ B1	noun - a wolf-like wild dog native to North America.
howling /ˈhaʊlɪŋ/ B1	verb - utter a loud, prolonged mournful sound.
singing /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/ A1	verb - make musical sounds with the voice.