[Verse 1]
It was the 23rd of May
When I heard the sergeant say
"Fuck it, round up the usual suspects and call it a day
"We've got no time to mess around
"And I'm not dyin' in this shit-hole town
For a soldier's pay"

[Verse 2]
It was too good to be true
But my discharge came through
And I was on the first bird out that I could find
Rode that C-17 into Stuttgart
Fall round-up on my mind

[Verse 3]
When my brothers picked me up
We got way deep in our cups
We must've tore ol' Rapid City down
My big brother Jack
Said, "Boy it's good to see you back
What you gonna do now?"
What you gonna do now?

[Chorus]
'Cause there ain't much between the Pole and South Dakota
And barbed wire won't stop the wind
You won't get nothin' here but broke and older
If I was you I might re-up again
[Verse 4]
Well, we had good rain this year
And Dad fed in some Charolais steers
He got 'em way-cheap out of Texas 'cause of the droughth
When we put 'em out on oats
They hadn't yet grown their winter coats
Away down south

[Verse 5]
And it was barely even fall
But that blizzard got 'em all
Left them sprawled across the pasture, stiff as boards
You take a sharp knife in your hand
Skin 'em out while you still can
And curse the Lord
Curse the Lord

[Chorus]
'Cause there ain't much between the Pole and South Dakota
And barbed wire won't stop the wind
I won't get nothin' here but broke and older
I might as well re-up again

[Instrumental]

[Verse 6]
These old hides are not worth much
So we'll pitch 'em off the truck
And pile 'em up by the horse trough in the lot
'Cause they sell by the pound
They weigh like lead if you wet 'em down
And they're all we got
[Verse 7]
Hell, with a gas lease or two
We might've just made do
But there's nothin' under this ground worth a dime
Now the sheriff's on his way
And it's for damn sure not our day
It's just our time

[Chorus]
And there ain't much between the Pole and South Dakota
And barbed wire won't stop the wind
I won't get nothin' here but broke and older
I might as well re-up again
I might as well re-up again