[Verse 1] In the southern part of Texas, east and west of El Paso Where the mighty Franklin Mountains guard the trail to Mexico There's a new-made widow crying and a hearse a-rolling slow I guess the devil's pa**ed this way again There's a lathered sorrel stallion running through the Joshua trees And a young man in the saddle with his coat tails in the breeze He's got a six gun on his right hip and a rifle at his knees And he's dealing in a game that he can't win [Chorus] Poor Billy Bonney, you're only 21 Pat Garrett's got your name on every bullet in his gun Every notch you carve on your six gun
Has a bloody tale to tell You're a mile ahead of Garrett and a step outside of Hell [Verse 2] Those fancy clothes you're wearing and the women in your bed Can't take away the traces of the men that you've left dead As you ride across the badlands with a price upon your head And now the Wheel of Fortune starts to turn Your reputation's grown until it's the biggest in the land And there ain't a lot of people left who want to call your hand And I guess you'll go down shooting and like all branded men When you shake hands with the devil you get burned [Chorus]