Rapid City, South Dakota Lyrics

Just a ragged kid in overalls, he thumbed a ride one day He told me, “Anywhere you’re going is on my way” But as we passed by Big Al’s drive-in his eyes began to flash He was leavin’ Rapid City mighty fast
He said, “I hope to God she finds The goodbye letter that I wrote her But the mail don’t move so fast In Rapid City, South Dakota”
Now, he left her just a blanket of snow upon the farm And that don’t keep your conscience very warm He said his friends were too darn country and his pa was too damn mean And there weren’t no money pumpin’ gasoline
And her gentle eyes, the merchandise Of dreams the peddler sold her Who left her there alone In Rapid City, South Dakota
The reason he was goin’, I ain’t sure I could say Might have been the rodeo in Santa Fe “There’s a doctor in Chicago, I know she’ll be all right ” He told himself as he stared into the night
He said, “I hope to God she finds The goodbye letter that I wrote her But the mail don’t move so fast In Rapid City, South Dakota”
And all her people treatin’ her Just like they never knowed her And the winter’s passin’ slow In Rapid City, South Dakota