Burl Ives - The Lavender Cowboy 



He was only a lavender cowboy,

The hairs on his chest were two,

But he wished to follow the heroes

And fight like the he-men do. 

But he was inwardly troubled

By a dream that gave him no rest,

That he'd go with his heroes in action

With only two hairs on his chest. 

First he tried many a hair tonic.

'Twas rubbed in on him each night.

But still when he looked in the mirror

Those two hairs were ever in sight. 

But with a spirit undaunted

He wandered out to fight,

Just like an old-time knight errant

To win combat for the right. 

He battled for Red Nellie's honor

And cleaned out a holdup's nest

He died with his six guns a-smoking

With only two hairs on his chest.