8 SECONDS

 
            Big Red knew what was coming
            When he ambled off that truck
            Tonight another cowboy would try
            To beat the odds, have some luck

            In the bovine world, he was king
            Eighteen hundred pounds of hooded hell
            Until now nobody had stayed aboard
            To hear that eight-second bell

            He was such a magnificent beast
            Muscled shoulders of a copper hue
            If there was a physical weakness
            There were no obvious clues

            In the distance, he heard an uproar
            Knew that time was drawing near
            For him to do what he did best
            Intimidate, doing his best to create fear

            He was loaded into a narrow chute
            Felt a weight settle on his back
            Bucked, strained, he created havoc
            Coiling his muscles for the attack

            The gate opened and off they went
            Cowboy, he was determined to unseat
            A whirling dervish he now became
            In his mind no way could he be beat

            The uproar was intense, deafening
            People were screaming, on their feet
            Sensing that this could be the night
            When Big Red finally tasted defeat

            The cowboy thought he knew Red’s moves
            But Big Red had one he kept in reserve
            If he was going to throw this cowboy
            It was now while he had the nerve

            Out of a tight spin, he went down
            And went into a deadly barrel roll
            Unable to clear the saddle in time
            The cowboy’s life Big Red stole

            That night Big Red was retired
            And hamburger he almost became
            Instead, a sign was nailed to his stall
            “Here lives a killer, Big Red’s his name”