Well it was south of Warialda
I was stranded by the Gwydir
Just the clothes that I was wearing
My old guitar case by my side
And the chilly dusk was falling
I saw the headlights in the distance
I felt an eerie stillness
Stuck my thumb out for a ride
An ancient rig and caravan
Pulled up with a rattle
A battered door squeaked open
That's when I saw him in the glow
As we rattled through the darkness
He just listened to my sorry story
'Till finally he turned and said "Boy, there's something you should know"

"There are rules of the road like an old unwritten code
Something bushies and showmen only know
You've got to take it on the chin and get back up again
It's a mystery you feel inside your bones
When you're living by the rules of the road."

With one hand on the wheel he fixed himself a rolly
And he spoke of faded memories from a lifetime ago
And the miles became a blur of boxing tents and buckjump shows
And the old man's form was ghostly in the dash light and the smoke

There are rules of the road like an old unwritten code
Something bushies and showmen only know
You've got to take it on the chin and get back up again
It's a mystery you feel inside your bones
When you're living by the rules of the road

Well we were coming into North Star when he said:
"This is where we park, boy
You see, Sister Dorrie is waiting up ahead"
Something glistened in his eye
And that rig just seemed to vanish
And a voice from out of nowhere seemed to say:
"Tex is goin' back to Queensland
To give it one more try!"

There are rules of the road like an old unwritten code
Something bushies and showmen only know
You've got to take it on the chin and get back up again
It's a mystery you feel inside your bones (you can feel it)
When you're living by the rules of the road
(Rules of the road)
It's like an old unwritten code
Something bushies and showmen only know
Well you've got to take it on the chin and get back up again
It's a mystery you feel inside your bones
When you're living by the rules of the road