When Abilene was young and gay

And thunder storms filled up the days

The cattle roam outside the town



Sleeping in the midday sun X4



Then tracks were laid across the plain

By broken old men in torrid rain

The towns grew up, and the people were still



Sleeping in the midday sun X4



We all joined in

(And) We all joined hands

We all joined in

To help run this land



Then the soldiers came, long long ago

Rode through the town

And mowed down those



Sleeping in the midday sun X4



Gold came and went, quickly spent

And the people broke down

And often drowned

From the wealth and the pain

Of old Abilene



Sleeping in the midday sun X8