I've been walkin' these streets so long
Singin' the same old song
I know every crack in these dirty
Sidewalks of Broadway
Where hustle's the name of the game
And nice guys get washed away like the snow and the rain

There's been a load of compromisin'
On the road to my horizon
But I'm gonna be
Where the lights are shinin' on me

Like a rhinestone cowboy
Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Getting cards and letters from people I don't even know
And offers comin' over the phone

Well, I really don't mind the rain
And a smile can hide all the pain
But you're down when you're ridin' the train
That's takin' the long way
And I dream of the things I'll do
With a subway token and a dollar tucked inside my shoe

There'll be a load of compromisin'
On the road to my horizon
But I'm gonna be
Where the lights are shinin' on me
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Gettin' cards and letters from people I don't even know