I hired on with Colonel Slaughter, driving steers to Abilene
Green and wet behind the ears, a kid of seventeen
Though I was raised in Texas, I was not a seasoned hand
So I got the job of hoodlum, the coosie's right-hand man
On the Llano Estacado, all you see is endless plains
You dread the sound of thunder, there's no shelter from the rain
Now the coosie did a strange thing, when the evening meal was done
He'd wait until the stars come out, then move the wagon tongue
He said, son, there ain't no landmarks on these wide and rollin' plains
There ain't no trees or mountains, so each day it looks the same
But you'll never lose direction and you'll know just where you are
If you'll always point your wagon tongue toward that ol' north star
Out along the Cimarron, one cold and stormy night
I watched the cattle stampede, through the lightning's eerie light
Took several days to round 'em up, get 'em settled down
And we followed in the wagon, through the soft and muddy ground
As we pushed the herd across the plains, we had no way to know
That we had drifted way off course, towards New Mexico
But the night the stars came out, his theory stood the test
Abilene's up north of us, but we were headed west
He said, son, there ain't no landmarks on these wide and rollin' plains
There ain't no trees or mountains, so each day it looks the same
But you'll never lose direction and you'll know just where you are
If you'll always point your wagon tongue toward that ol' north star
My life has been a full one, my hair is turnin' gray
And I've seen a lot of sunshine, but I've seen some cloudy days
For a while I wondered aimlessly and I still wear the scars
Of when I didn't point my wagon tongue, toward that ol' north star
'Cause life is like a grassy sea, the trail ain't always plain
One may lead to pleasure and another lead to pain
But you'll never lose direction and you'll know just where you are
If you'll always point your wagon tongue toward that ol' north star
Yes, you'll never lose direction and you'll know just where you are
If you'll always point your wagon tongue toward that ol' north star