Michael Martin Murphey - Big Iron lyrics

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 For the stranger there among 'em had a big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip It was early in the mornin' when he rode into town He came ridin' from the south side, slowly lookin' all around "He's an outlaw, loose and runnin'", came a whisper from each lip "He's here to do some business with the 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 k**er, though a youth of twenty-four And the notches on his pistol numbered one and nineteen more One and nineteen more Now the stranger started talkin', made it plain to folks around Was an Arizonia ranger, wouldn't be too long in town He came there to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead Said it didn't matter, he was after Texas Red, after Texas Red Wasn't long before this 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 the ranger with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip The mornin' past so quickly, it was time for them to meet It was twenty past eleven when they walked out in the street Folks were watchin' from their windows, every body held their breath They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his d**h About to meet his d**h 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 for a bullet fairly ripped And the ranger's aim was deadly, with the 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 gone on livin' but he made one fatal slip When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip Big iron, big iron When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip