VERSE 1 
 
Am                      E         G                             Am 
Well I was sitting in a roadhouse havin' a cup to pass the time 
Am             E               G                                Am 
Swapping rodeo stories with a few old territory friends of mine 
Am                   C              Dm 
When some motorcycle riders started snickering in the back 
Am                  E                  Am 
They were pokin' fun at my friends hat 
 
 
Am                    E                    G                Am 
Well one old boy said 'Hey Tex where'd you park your horse' 
Am                        E                G                        Am 
My friend just turned his hat down low but they couldn't be ignored 
Am                         C                     Dm 
Then one husky fella said 'I think I'll rip that hat right off your head' 
Am                    E                                      Am 
That's when my friend turned 'round and this is what he said 
 
CHORUS 
       Am              C    Dm  
You'll ride a black tornado across the western sky 
       Am               C           E 
You'll rope an old blue norther and milk it 'til it's dry 
    Am            C    Dm 
Bulldog the Diamantina pin its ears down flat 
Am              E                  Am 
Long before you take this cowboy's hat 
 
VERSE 2 
Am           E      G                 Am 
Now this old hat is better left alone 
Am                       E            G                      Am 
You see it used to be my father's but last year he passed on 
Am                   C                    Dm  
My Uncle skinned the red belly black that makes up this ol' hat band 
Am            E                      Am 
But back in '69 he was killed in Vietnam 
 
 
Am                        E                 G                             Am 
Now the eagle feather was given to me by an old aboriginal friend of mine 
Am                  E                             G                      Am 
But someone run him down somewhere up around that Nothern Territory line 
Am                 C                         Dm 
And a real special lady gave me this hat pin 
Am                      E                      Am 
But I don't know if I'm ever going to see her again 
 
REPEAT CHORUS 
 
VERSE 3 
Am                        E                           G               Am 
Now if your leather jacket means to you what this old hat means to me 
Am                   E                    G                    Am    
Then I guess we understand each other and we'll just let it be 
Am                          C                 Dm  
But if you still think it's funny then you've got my back up against the wall 
Am                  E                                      Am  
And if you touch my hat then you're gonna have to fight us all 
 

Am                        E                  G                                 Am 
Well right then and there I noticed a little sadness in the gang leader's eyes 
Am                        E               G                            Am 
He turned back toward the others and they all just shuffled on outside 
Am                        C                   Dm  
But when my friend turned back towards me I noticed his hat brim 
            Am             E                 Am  
Well it was turned up in a big old Territory grin 
 
REPEAT CHORUS