Close To The Land (America’s Heartland) Michael Martin Murphey

Way before the sun comes up
Already on his second cup
Hes looking out across the open sky
As streaks of orange, pink, and gray
Wash over rows of new mown hay
The rangeland fills a cowboys heart with pride. He rises slowly from his chair
His back is stiff, greys in his hair
Hes spent a lot of lone days in the sun
He ain't one much to complain
He saddles up, takes the reins
And rides har til his working day is done. You can see it in the eyes of every woman and man
Whove spent their whole lives living close to the land
Theres a love for the country
And a pride in the brand
In Americas heartland living close to the land
In Americas heartland close to the land. When the sun is high overhead
Shes been eight hours out of bed
Shes still got a lot of work to do
Pulling weeds an patchin jeans
And keepin faith when times are lean
She does a mans work and a womans too. Shell run a tractor, water stock
Fix the truck, then feed her flock
But somehow she gets roses from the ground
She ain't got a thing to prove
She simply does what she must do