Big Iron - Marty Robbins

To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day

Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn’t have too much to say

No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip

The stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip, big iron on his hip

It was early in the morning when he rode into the town

He came riding from the south side, slowly looking all around

He’s an outlaw loose and running, came the whisper from each lip

‘N he’s here to do some business with t’big iron on his hip, big iron on his hip

In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red

Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead

He was vicious and a killer, though a youth of twenty-four

‘N t’notches on his pistol numbered one ‘n nineteen more, one ‘n nineteen more

Now the stranger started talking, made it plain to folks around

Was an Arizona Ranger, wouldn’t be too long in town

He came here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead

And he said it didn’t matter, he was after Texas Red, after Texas Red

Wasn’t long before the story was relayed to Texas Red

But the outlaw didn’t worry, men that tried before were dead

Twenty men had tried to take him, twenty men had made a slip

Twenty-one would be t‘Ranger with t’big iron on his hip, big iron on his hip

The morning passed so quickly, it was time for them to meet

It was twenty past eleven when they walked out in the street

Folks were watching from the windows, everybody held their breath

They knew this handsome Ranger was about to meet his death,‘bout to meet his death

There was forty feet between them when they stopped to make their play

And the swiftness of the Ranger is still talked about today

Texas Red had not cleared leather ‘fore a bullet fairly ripped

‘N t‘Ranger’s aim was deadly with t’big iron on his hip, big iron on his hip

It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered ‘round

There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground

Oh, he might have went on livin’, but he made one fatal slip

When he tried to match t‘Ranger with t’big iron on his hip, big iron on his hip

Big iron, big iron

When he tried to match t‘Ranger with t’big iron on his hip, big iron on his hip