Written by: Don Cook & John Jarvis
Performed by: Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, The Highwaymen: Johnny Cash & Kris Kristofferson
Apears on: Highwayman 2-1990, The Highwayman Collection-2000, et al.
[Sound of the wind.]
[Jennings:]
The wind blows hard across the Texas planes.
Makes some people go insane,
While others quietly pray for rain.
That's where we came from.
[Jennings:]
Two boys playing in the burning sun,
[Cash:]
One with books, one with guns.
[Kristofferson:]
Mama calls but just one comes,
[Nelson:]
The other one runs.
[All & backup singers:]
In a crystal sense of wrong and right,
We were born and raised in black and white.
One learned to pray, one learned to fight.
We were born and raised in black and white.
We were born and raised in black and white.
[Kristofferson:]
Brother took to the gospel road,
Spent his whole life savin' souls.
[Jennings:]
When he looked at me his blood ran cold,
He didn't even try.
[Jennings & Nelson:]
I had no dreams, I had no plans.
But a gun felt good in my right hand.
The warden asked, "How come you killed that man?"
I said, "I don't know why."
[All & backup singers:]
Welcome home said the hot moonlight.
We were born and raised in black and white.
One lives to pray, one prays for life.
We were born and raised in black and white.
We were born and raised in black and white.
[Jennings:]
Someone handed me a cigarette.
They offered me my last request.
I asked my mortal soul be blessed,
[Jennings & backup singers:]
By someone close to me.
[Jennings:]
He came to me with trembling hands,
He swore he'd never understand.
I said it's just what life had planned.
It's destiny.
[All & backup singers:]
Don't waste your tears on me tonight.
We were born and raised in black and white.
I chose the dark, you chased the light.
We were born and raised in black and white.
We were born and raised in black and white.
[Nelson:]
The wind blows hard across the Texas plains.
Makes some people go insane,
[Kristofferson:]
While others quietly pray for rain.
