The hero of my childhood
rode on ahead this week.
When I heard it on the radio,
I could barely speak.
My memories took me back
to when I was a boy.
I rode the trails of childhood
with my cowboy hero, Roy.
He was King of the Cowboys,
and Trigger was King of the Horses,
and I was King of the Vacant Lot
when me and Roy joined forces.
I never missed his picture shows
whenever they came to town.
Me and my buddies were on the back row,
just a’ wolfin’ popcorn down.
Roy and Dale and Gabby
were always in the right,
and when they ran in to outlaws,
you can bet there was a fight.
Ol’ Roy would never kill ’em,
but he’d put ’em on the run.
He’d give ’em a right good whippin’,
then he’d take away their gun.
Roy always helped the good folks,
and then he’d go to singin’,
and Trigger’d go to dancin’,
that snow-white tail a swingin’.
Roy was always out on the trail,
just livin’ his life free.
He stirred the imaginations
of a bunch of kids like me.
I don’t know how he did it.
Only the good Lord knows
how a cowboy livin’ on the trail
could always wear clean clothes.
He set for us a standard.
He was honest, brave and true.
We all wanted to be like Roy
and do what he would do.
Now that he has left us,
I don’t think of him as dead.
He just took off on Trigger,
and he’s ridin’ on ahead.
And ol’ Trigger’s just a dancin’
and flaggin’ that snow-white tail,
and I know that trail they’re travelin’
has to be a Happy Trail.
Editor’s note: Joe Kreger writes from his home in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. His CDs are available from the Journal by calling 1-800-954-5263. For personal appearance information, call 1-816-550-6549.
