“The Old Crazy Goat” — Songs of Will T. Massey

Will left Austin abruptly at one point and moved out to his Dad’s ranch outside of San Angelo. Living in the old farmhouse out there, he spent a lot of time with the landscape and the livestock — especially some goats that stayed near the farmhouse and liked to climb on his car.

We always say a prayer for a good round-up
I wore long johns & boots, had beer in my cup.
There in the corral was the old crazy goat:
God had just dropped her in, quiet and perfect-like.

That tan little nanny lost a kid awhile back.
She still thinks it’s around, or something like that
She gets off by her herself, yelping for that kid —
Must’ve been special, we’ve got a lot of other kids…

The thing about those goats is
they’re always fetching up the rear of their kids
Off a-playing, trying to steer those offspring back around their way.

The crazy one’s tan and round and pretty
But she wouldn’t make a dime in a town like a city.
You gotta worry enough about them
Without having to make a wider circle.

We’ve got coyotes and bobcats
Harsh winters, cattle, and mean old donkeys they were:
It’s hard for a little goat to make it.

Sometimes in the evening when I have a beer,
I think sometimes a goat just disappears
Sometimes, she has a little patch of white around her belly.
The grass ain’t all that tall

Now, when she started going crazy, I thought,
I’ll sell that goat.
She makes me think something’s wrong, I put on my coat,
That cute and curious creature —
What is she really looking for?

Now I’ve gotten used to her and it’s a healthy space I give her.
She doesn’t mean to cause trouble — she’s just trying to live.
She keeps in shape, moves around a lot.

You know the wind is a factor here, week to week,
The goats try to talk, the wind can speak.
Sometimes I see her and in the corner of her eye,
I know she knows I know.

Well, I always say a prayer for a good round-up —
I wore long johns and boots, had beer in my cup.
Down in the corral is the old crazy goat
God had just dropped her in, all quiet and perfect-like.

Special guest appearance by our Grandfather, G.M.C. Massey — with a pet goat.