When the hoot owl toots his too-loo To the wail of the nip wink hen And the ching fong chips and the chilly night It's mighty lonesome then And its lonesome when the wintry wind Howls through the Jack Pine bows But you don't know what lonesome is 'Til you get to herdin' cows Do-me-arma-do Do-me-arma-day All alone All alone Now the ordinary fella Gets off on a Saturday night He gets a chance to see his pals That ain't no more than right But when the rope and saddle is your life There's no time to carouse 'Cause you don't know what lonesome is 'Til you get to herdin' cows Do-me-arma-do Do-me-arma-day By myself By myself ♪ Oh, the keeper of the lighthouse The sailor man at sea And the lookout on the mountain top Ain't got a thing on me 'Cause I but all the lonesomeness That the common law allows Man, you don't know what lonesome is 'Til you get to herdin' cows Do-me-arma-do Do-me-arma-day Cowboy blues Cowboy blues You may often wonder why A cowpoke sings so sad He's thinkin' of the many things In life he's never had No gal, no pal for company Just the cattle as they browse Brother, you don't know what lonesome is 'Til you get to herdin' cows Do-me-arma-do Do-me-arma-day All alone By myself Dog-gone cows (Dog-gone cows)