On the wide open range before fences and roads
Where cattle herds roamed free
Cowboys were measured by the rules of the Code
And by their integrity. 

Cattle were money; meant much more than meat
A stray cow, easy to spot.
Faced with the choice to be honest or cheat
They gave not a second thought.

Returning that stray to your neighbor’s herd
Was always right to do
The line between right and wrong is never blurred
Guided by your virtue.

The difference between values and virtues, my friends
Depends on what they’re based.
Values can change with situations and trends.
Standards can get displaced.

But virtues are based on God’s timeless law
And never change with time
You don’t have to guess, or even draw straws
To know what’s called a crime.

When you react to something odd or routine
Let your virtues shine.
There’s right and there’s wrong, not a thing in between
Know where to draw the line.