Summer Cows

Today I watched cows being herded across a highway in southern Colorado. The cowboys, horses, and dogs worked together as a team to gather the reluctant livestock and persuade them to move across the road. Gerald and I were on our way back to Chama, New Mexico, after driving some high country forest service roads nearly two miles above sea level in southern Colorado.


Summer cows. Or, as Gerald used to say, "These are summer cows. Summer brown. Summer black. Some are white. Some have spots. Summer cows. Summer heifers. Summer steers. Some bull."

In honor of this week's Summer Cows, here's a Poetry Corner entry for the song popularized by Frankie Laine that introduced each episode of one of America's most popular westerns, Rawhide. The show was an early starring vehicle for Clint Eastwood and the song has lived on in such movies as The Blues Brothers and Shrek.

RAWHIDE

Rollin', rollin', rollin'.
Rollin', rollin', rollin'.
Rollin', rollin', rollin'.
Rollin', rollin', rollin'.
Rawhide!
Hah! Hah!

Keep rollin', rollin', rollin',
Though the streams are swollen,
Keep them dogies rollin', rawhide.
Through rain and wind and weather,
Hell bent for leather,
Wishin' my gal was by my side.
All the things I'm missin',
Good vittles, love, and kissin',
Are waiting at the end of my ride.

Move 'em out, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em on.
Move 'em out, head 'em up:
Rawhide.
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in,
Ride 'em in, cut 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in:
Rawhide!
Hah! Hah!

Movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them dogies movin', rawhide.
Don't try to understand 'em,
Just rope an' throw an' brand 'em.
Soon we'll be living high and wide.
My heart's calculatin',
My true love will be waitin':
Waitin' at the end of my ride.

Move 'em out, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em on.
Move 'em out, head 'em up:
Rawhide.
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in,
Ride 'em in, cut 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in:
Rawhide!

(Rollin', rollin', rollin'.)
(Rollin', rollin', rollin'.)
Hah!
(Rollin', rollin', rollin'.)
Hah!
(Rollin', rollin', rollin'.)
Rawhide.
Hah!
Rawhide!
From Cowboylyrics.com

Send “Rawhide” Ringtone to Cell Phone



From Cowboylyrics.com


See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rawhide_(TV_series) :
”…the peak form of the show was convincing and naturalistic, and sometimes brutal.”