C5 F5 C5 
He was born on a bright day, 1908 
C5 G5  
Must have made up his mind that he just couldn't wait 
C5 F5 C5 
The labor came on so quick and so fast 
C5 G5 C5 
They rushed to town but she just couldn't last 
C5 F5 C5 
He entered the world with his daddy playing doctor 
C5 G5 
A horse for a nursemaid, cattle milling about 
C5 F5 C5 
Born in the back of his daddy's ranch wagon 
C5 G5 C5 
Into the tools of the trade there was never a doubt 


F5 C5 
He loved the wide open spaces the best 
F5 C5 
He looked east every morning, every evening he looked west 
F5 C5 G5 
Loved his cowboying ways more than anyone knew 
F5 C5 G5 C5  
Cowboy from Catarina, it's open spaces for you 
F5 C5 G5 C5 
Cowboy from Catarina, it's open spaces for you  
 
Spent whole days on horseback just explaining the country 

Skipped school when he could cause it kept him inside 

Took his supper on the back steps so he could see the sun setting 

Stood up in his stirrups to watch the sunrise 

He'd ride through the draws where the rock faces whistle 

Sit there amongst the mesquite shrubs and the thistles 

He'd smell the whitebrush that the breeze carried by 

And he'd thank the angels for his cowboy life 
 
Chorus 
 
The second great war called him down from his horse 

They asked will you serve and he answered of course 

So he rode a troop ship across the great wide 

And he fought the Axis with one thought in mind 

Get back to Catarina, get back to his life 

Get back to his fencelines and the south Texas sky 

Get back to his cattle, his pastures, his land 

The cowboy from Catarina, he wore a very deep brand 
 
Chorus 
 
Change key to 
D5 

D5 G5 D5  
The eighties rolled around and his skin was wrinkled leather 
D5 A5  
The hearing had faded and his balance had been better 
D5 G5 D5 
But he could still spot a buck three fencelines away 
D5 A5 D5 
And cowboy from Catarina I wonder where you are today 
D5 G5 D5  
Are you down in the draw where the rock faces whistle 
D5 A5 
Are you sitting amongst the mesquite shrubs and thistles 
D5 G5 D5 
Can you smell the whitebrush that the breeze carries by 
D5 A5 D5 
And are you thanking the angels for your cowboyin' life 
 
Chorus 2: 
G5 D5  
Cause you loved the wide open spaces the best 
G5 D5  
You looked east every morning, every evening you looked out west 
G5 D5 A5 
You loved your cowboying ways more than anyone knew 
G5 D5 A5 D5 
Cowboy from Catarina, it's open spaces for you 
G5 D5 A5 
Cowboy from Catarina, it's open spaces 
G5 D5  
It's them wide open spaces for you