Give me land, lots of land under starry skies above Don't fence me in Let me ride through the wide open country that I love Don't fence me in Let me be by myself in the easy breeze And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees Set me up forever but I ask you please Don't fence me in Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle underneath the Western sky On my cayuse let me wander over yonder 'til I see the mountain tribes
I want to ride to the ridge where the West commences I'll kick at the moon until I lose my senses I can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences Don't fence me in No, papa, don't you fence me in Excerpts from "The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner" (1962): "Well, I think that'll be all for now. Thank you." "You mean I can go now, Sir?" "Yes." "All right, thank you very much, Sir."