Life Of The Cowboy

The life of the cowboy has long been portrayed as heroic and romantic. True, the cowboy was a hero in his own right, but his life was far from romantic.

In reality, the life of the early cowboy was a lonely one, filled with back-breaking work, hardship and little pay. He would work from dawn 'til dusk, fourteen hours a day, seven days a week and was only paid ten to twenty dollars a month. For all of the work that he did, he truly deserved to be paid more.

The most dreaded duty of the cowboy was the cattle drive. It would keep him away from home for months on end and was very monotonous. But, the worst part of it, was the constant fear of stampedes.

By nightfall, after a day out on the range, he would go to sleep in some uncomfortable bunk or on the ground beside a campfire. By dawn the next morning, he would awake with muscles that were stiff and sore and start all over again. It took a strong and capable man to be able to withstand such a rugged life. He was a fearless giant who wore a pistol on his hip and had to be able to fight off cattle rustlers and face duels. He knew that just as fast as he made a friend, he could lose a friend to illness, stampedes or gunfights.

The cowboy would only display his sentimental emotions through music. Cowboys would usually play the guitar or harmonica and maybe have a sing-a-long by the campfire or in the bunkhouse. Tunes that would often express their broken heart over a lost love, their homesickness or their happy memories of the good old days.