Too Tall

Too Tall

Too Tall had unusual altitude
And he was a purty fair hand
He often got special chorin'
While drawin' his pay from the brand

Even without his boots on
He could reach up into a loft
So when extra height was needful
Too Tall was called for most oft’

'Course he needed special treatment
In the bunkhouse we paired two beds
Yardin' an' tyin' 'em end to end
His feet only covered by threads

When picking his string for a drive
With most cayuses around
When Too Tall up an’ straddled ‘em
His feet never left the ground

Fact is most horses he rode
Could be mounted from the rear
He'd teach ‘em to back up just so
While straddlin’, the cantle he’d clear

We boys all called him "Too Tall"
For reasons of obvious clue
No one would ever call him shorty
Not with that celestial view

A season came along when
Work turned slack for a spell
Calvin' and brandin' all done
We set round with stories to tell

Too Tall weren't partial to storyin'
Neither to listenin' nor to tellin'
But he had him a gamblin' weakness
Which sadly was all too compellin'

That led to excessive exposure
To dubious men with ways strayin’
He joined up with a bad crowd
Headin' all us boys to dismayin’

'Afore long he was shirkin'
His share of duties at the ranch
Ramrod told him to straighten up
An' twice gave him a second chance

But Too Tall was more enchanted
With his gang of outlaw cronies
The excitement was too irresistible
Drawin' him close to all them phonies

A’fore long Too Tall went missin'
Vamoosed with nary an adios
Soon cattle started bein’ rustled
Leavin’ us angry and morose

Eventually the thief got caught
Saddened us boys for a time
But Too Tall was man-growed
He knew the tariff for his crime

At trial they sentenced Too Tall
To hang by the neck until dead
They trotted him out to an old oak
Slippin' a noose o’er his head

They slapped that bay on her rump
She went tearin’ off down the street
Leavin’ ‘ol Too Tall a’ smilin’ there
Just standin’ easy on his feet

Can only hang a man but once
So when it comes t’ this close call
Since that is the law of the land
'Ol Too Tall weren't too tall a'tall