Prairie Fire lyrics

While drivin' a herd of cattle

Out in old Nebraska way

Headin' east at Broken Bow

One hot September day

Tryin' to get to Omaha

We hoped to find a buyer

We never counted in the odds

Of a western prairie fire

A hot south wind was blowin'

And the air was gettin' dry

Somethin' far away

Was spellin' trouble in the sky

Comin' closer was a sound

That topped the devil's choir

Then we knew we had to race

A raging prairie fire

When all at once a flame

Is seen a lickin' at the sky

And every heart is quicker

And there's fear in every eye

We'd just one chance to get away

For there's no place to hide

Gotta reach the river Platte

One inch deep and one mile wide

The herd is gettin' tired

But we've got no time to rest

I try to clear the red dust

that is gatherin' in my chest

From ridin' tail on a thousand head

With the weather gettin' dry

The black cloud in the west

Is warning ride ride ride

The roarin' heat is closer

Ashes fallin' by our side

And every breeze is burnin'

Singin' with its warnin' cry

We've got to reach the river

But it's still ten miles or more

And close behind us we can hear

That wind infernal roar

But fate had other plans

For we lost that fatal race

We lost for neither man nor beast

Could long keep up the pace

The mighty Platte subdued its rage

But none were there to rest

We did our best to get away

But only I am left

Now on the blackened prairie

Far as the eye can see

The grim remains are there to show

That God rules you and me

Just one he left to tell the tale

Just one was his desire

We lost our herd and thirty men

To a raging prairie fire