I was six years old, my brother was ten   One July day came runnin' in   Seen a ferris wheel at the edge of town   So, of course, we headed on down      Well, it took us an hour to walk that far   Carryin' our fortune in a Mason jar   It was all pretty sad, a cheap county fair   With a few old rides but there was ponies there      Well, the ponies stunk and the air was still   In that dusty circle behind the ferris wheel   This old guy smellin' of smoke and rum   Swung me up and sat me down on one      Well, I'd never rode a horse but I'd seen it done   Cowboy movies made it look like fun   This old man whispered a few soft words   It was the best advice I've ever heard      He said, "Sit tall in the saddle, hold your head up high   Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky   And live like you ain't afraid to die   And don't be scared, just enjoy your ride"      I went up a kid with shakin' hands   But I came down a full grown man   It was like he'd cast some voodoo spell   Things were different for me now, I could tell      'Cause whenever troubles come wanderin' in   His rhyme would pop in my head again   And somehow I rode through the needles and nails   Brambles and thorns that life entails      He said, "Sit tall in the saddle, hold your head up high   Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky   And live like you ain't afraid to die   And don't be scared, just enjoy your ride"      Well, I know some day, farther down the road   I'll come to the edge of the great unknown   There'll stand a black horse riderless   And I wonder if I'm ready for this      So I'll saddle him up and he'll switch his tail   And I'll tip my hat and bid farewell   And lift my song into the air   That I learned at that dusty fair      Sit tall in the saddle, hold your head up high   Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky   And live like you ain't afraid to die   And don't be scared, just enjoy your ride   Now, don't be scared, just enjoy your ride