The Passenger

It was dark and I was driving down a lonely Texas road
The night was hot and sleep pulled at my eyes
I was thinking 'bout the wild times and the women that I'd had
The deceitful things I'd done and those lies

When standin' in the shadows by the side of the road
Was the figure of a withered old man
He wore a black bandanna, a ropin' stetson hat
With a two inch scarlet hat band

He held his wrinkled hand up as a sign to shut 'er down
So I pulled over and stopped at his side
He opened up the door, slid in and sat down
He said, "My ain't it hot tonight"

I studied this old man and it seemed mighty strange
For him to be out here all alone
And then he started talkin' and he told me many things
Of times that both of us had known

He told me of the wild life and the women that he'd had
How none of them had ever meant a thing
He told me of a black night much the same as this
Of the strange and awesome things he'd seen

A man beside the road had raised his hand
And flagged him down, so he stopped and let him in
That stranger told him stories that I am hearing now
About the wild times and all the sin

And the car got cold and clammy, and this old man looked at me
He said, "Boy, I've come here for you"
Your days of wicked sinnin' have come to an end
As a mortal on this earth boy, you are through

Then his eyes got red and fiery as he took his stetson off
To reveal his evil horns shiny and black
My God, the fear came o'er and my senses were all lost
I fought with him until we finally crashed

Next day they found the car at the bottom of the drop
The young cowboy was found beside the wreck
His car had been consumed by fire, the cowboy had no marks
Except the smokin' pitchfork brand upon his neck