You Pay for Hay Twice — A Working-West Song for the First Feed Before the Freeze
You Pay for Hay Twice — A Working-West Song for the First Feed Before the Freeze
The story behind the song
The first hard freeze is coming, and the young hand figured it cheaper to buy than to bale. Ran the numbers right there in the truck cab — delivered auction hay by the ton against diesel and June sweat — and the math looked good. First cold morning we fed together, the bunks told the truth. Stemmy bales, dust in our breath, half of it trampled into the snow while the cows sorted for the leaves. My June-cut fed clean down to the flake.
I didn't lecture him. You don't have to — a bunk does its own talking. But I gave him the one line I've earned in thirty-plus winters: you pay for hay twice — once when you make it, once when you don't.
Here's the part I love. Come next June, that kid was in the swather at five-thirty, first rig in line, phone left in the toolbox, learning why the old man sweated in the heat. That's not a lesson failed. That's a lesson landed. This one's for every young hand who bought a cheap bill and came back a better hand — and for the old men smart enough to let the bunks do the talking.
Lyrics
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Fall of '26, hard freeze on the way
He's in the truck cab, first feed of the day
Proud of that math, cheap by the ton
But the north wind's coming and the summer's gone
[Verse 2]
His bales shook out stemmy, dust hung in our breath
Cows nosed through the ring, picked the leaves and left
Half on the trampled snow, yellow stalks in a fan
He quit checking that phone, just stood there with his hands
My June-cut fed leafy, clean down to the flake
Full bunks, quiet cattle, nothing going to waste
I said, "You pay for hay twice — once when you make it, once when you don't"
Then we forked out the waste and let the bunks do the talking
[Chorus]
You pay for hay twice — once when you make it, once when you don't
June in a full bunk when the north wind won't quit
Leaf in the windrow, tight twine in a row
I sweat when it's leafy, I bale when it's dry
Clean feed in the cold, that's June paying me back
You pay for hay twice — once when you make it, once when you don't
[Instrumental Break]
[Bridge]
Next June, five-thirty, his rig's at the shed
First hand in the swather line, fields laid out ahead
He checks the knife sections, feels the stems by hand
Leaves the phone in the toolbox, learns the lay of the land
I bring cold water, he's brought coffee for two
Hot work, good laughing, whole afternoon through
He drops the header easy and lets the swather go
[Chorus]
You pay for hay twice — once when you make it, once when you don't
June in a full bunk when the north wind won't quit
Leaf in the windrow, tight twine in a row
I sweat when it's leafy, I bale when it's dry
Clean feed in the cold, that's June paying me back
You pay for hay twice — once when you make it, once when you don't
[Spoken Outro]
Bunks told it plain, son.
Now you're making good hay.
Written & performed by Waylon · DirtRoadRadio