My wife Tammy and I like to travel the backroads whenever we can. We love to see things "off the beaten path". On one trip down in south-central Utah we came on a cattle ranch. It was in terrible shape. I thought this has to be such a hard life. I walked out into a field of sagebrush and cedar trees and kicked a few of those things that cows leave behind and felt inspired to write this song.
Lyrics
Ain’t No Quit
Dirt road ribbons wrap the hills
An old cowboy tests his skill
As cattle prod the valley floor
In desperate search for a mouthful more
He urges on his tired horse
Day after day they plod this course
Weathered face and callused hands
It’s a rugged road, but he understands
That’s what it takes in this hard land
A heart on fire and an iron hand
Find your place and make a stand
There ain’t no quit in a cattle man
Never time for for kids and wife
He’s been alone near his whole life
Just his horse to hear him speak
Or see a muddy tear run down his cheek
Them boney cows won’t pay the bills
He knows that, but he rides on still
It ain’t the money, he always says
Just build the herd and keep your head
Chorus
Dust for breakfast lunch and dinner
He and the cattle keep getting thinner
But he don’t stop even though he should
Too late to change even if he could
They found him lying under the sage
His frozen body racked with age
They buried him right where he lay
Under all that dust he ate each day
A wooden marker shows the spot
Some faded words was all he got
He gave his all to this tough land
There ain’t no quit in this cattle man
There ain’t no quit in a cattle man