We made Oklahoma a little after 3 Randy, his brother Bob and my old GMC We had some moonshine whiskey and some of Bob's homegrown We were so messed up we didn't know if we were drunk or stoned
Randy was a sad-sack, tall kinda frail Bob was a raving maniac, crazy in the head They been kicked out of high school several years ago For pushin' over port-a-cans at the 4-H rodeo
Since then they've done their little dance right outside the law Popped twice in Oklahoma, once in Arkansas And I don't know what possessed me to want to tag along 'Cause I was raised a Christian and I knew right from wrong
Right or wrong, black or white Cross the line you're gonna pay In the dawn before the light Live and die by the shades of gray
We stole two Charolais heifers from Randy's sweetheart's paw Sold them at the livestock sale outside of Wichita We got 900 dollars and never did suspect The world of hurt we'd be in once we cashed that check
Next day we heard the story on the local radio We made our plans that very night to go to Mexico And I swear we would have made it if it wasn't for that shine I got sick about the time we crossed that Kansas line
Right or wrong, black or white Cross the line you're gonna pay In the dawn before the light Live and die by the shades of gray
I was layin' in the bar ditch prayin' I would die When a light come on above us and a voice come from the sky A half a dozen unmarked cars came screeching to a halt They grabbed Bob, he started screamin' it was all my fault
There were men and dogs and helicopter buzzin' all around They had the brothers on the pickup hood and me down on the ground Bob flew all to pieces but Randy he held tight When a black man in a suit and tie stepped out into the light He told his men to turn us loose they put down their guns He said these are just some sorry kids, they ain't the ones
Right or wrong, black or white Cross the line you're gonna pay In the dawn before the light Live and die by the shades of gray
So they left us by the roadside down hearted and alone Randy got behind the wheel said boys I'm going home So we turned around to face our fate hung over but alive On that mornin' in late April, Oklahoma, 1995
Right or wrong, black or white Cross the line you're gonna pay In the dawn before the light Live and die by the shades of gray Live and die by the shades of gray Live and die by the shades of gray.