I had a a brother, who wasn't from my family
We worked a ranch by the border, where the rain cloud's never seen
And old Rocco was a ranch hand, he got fired from our boss man
Now he works a 'dozer in Eagle Pass
I ain't seen him in a long time, I wonder how he's gettin' by
And I wish our fate sometimes could take us back

He said, "your life is a canvas, you paint some everyday
And when you think you've got it all figured out in your head you know the Man's got your final say
Look back on all your memories, if we go our separate ways
Don't forget your life's a canvas, we might get painted back someday"

Rollin' barbed wire, and killin' time
You wake the sunrise, and work 'til 9:00
Just like the sunset on the ocean, the light just fades away
You see the stars shine in the desert, just before the break of day
And then the wind throws me a memory, of a L.A. girl I loved
You know she left me for the sunset, when she said she'd had enough

And as the sweat rolls through my work glove, ask me "what are you doin' here?"
Could she love you for a lifetime, and not even shed a tear?
I bet she'd ride by Arizona, when them mountains all turn black
Question faith down at some crossroad, drinkin' from a paper sack
I’ve lost two buddies from two drunken nights
And that alone is tough
They're probably in some better place, but man it's gettin' rough
It's gettin' rough
It's gettin' rough
He said, "your life is a canvas, you paint some everyday
And when you think you've got it all figured out in your head you know the Man's got your final say
And look back on all your memories, if we go our separate ways
Don't forget your life's a canvas, we might get painted back someday"