In popular skits from A Prairie Home Companion, two crusty cowboys—one a poet, the other his gravel-voiced sidekick—reveal what it’s really like out there on the range.

Lefty: Haven’t you read about the dangers of drinking?
Dusty: I have. And it led me to give up reading.

Like the “News from Lake Wobegon” and “Guy Noir, Private Eye,” “The Lives of the Cowboys” has become a signature part of A Prairie Home Companion. Each week, radio listeners can’t wait to hear Lefty’s latest poem and Dusty’s latest rant.

In six complete sketches drawn from the radio show, Dusty (Tim Russell) and Lefty (Garrison Keillor) cope with hangovers and citrusy aftershave, drive a herd of 10,000 free range chickens, tangle with a territorial poet named Big Messer, and much more. Each is a glimpse into daily life in and mostly out of the saddle. Also includes four songs.

TRACK LISTING

1. Citrusy Aftershave (10:26)
2. Pretty Good Bet (1:30)
3. Big Messer (10:56)
4. The Copper Casserole Café (10:42)
5. South Dakota Song (2:26)
6. Cowboy Librarians (13:32)
7. Jump Start My Heart (1:41)
8. Squeezing Peaches (11:53)
9. Whoopi-Ti-Yi-Yo (1:08)
10. Christmas on the Trail (10:43)

Format: Compact Disc
Playing Time: 1 ¼ hours