The Passenger Lyrics - Chris Ledoux

It was dark and I was driving down a lonely Texas road 

The night was hot and sleep pulled at my eyes 

I was thinking 'bout the wild times and the women that I'd had 

The deceitful things I'd done and those lies 

When standin' in the shadows by the side of the road 

Was the figure of a withered old man 

He wore a black bandanna, a ropin' stetson hat 

With a two inch scarlet hat band 

He held his wrinkled hand up as a sign to shut 'er down 

So I pulled over and stopped at his side 

He opened up the door, slid in and sat down 

He said, "My ain't it hot tonight" 

I studied this old man and it seemed mighty strange 

For him to be out here all alone 

And then he started talkin' and he told me many things 

Of times that both of us had known 

He told me of the wild life and the women that he'd had 

How none of them had ever meant a thing 

He told me of a black night much the same as this 

Of the strange and awesome things he'd seen 

A man beside the road had raised his hand 

And flagged him down, so he stopped and let him in 

That stranger told him stories that I am hearing now 

About the wild times and all the sin 

And the car got cold and clammy, and this old man looked at me 

He said, "Boy, I've come here for you" 

Your days of wicked sinnin' have come to an end 

As a mortal on this earth boy, you are through 

Then his eyes got red and fiery as he took his stetson off 

To reveal his evil horns shiny and black 

My God, the fear came o'er and my senses were all lost 

I fought with him until we finally crashed 

Next day they found the car at the bottom of the drop 

The young cowboy was found beside the wreck 

His car had been consumed by fire, the cowboy had no marks 

Except the smokin' pitchfork brand upon his neck