Big Iron is a song written by Marty Robbins, featured on his Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs album released in 1959. The lyrics narrate a showdown between a Texas Ranger and an outlaw named Texas Red in the American West. The song is known for its engaging storytelling and western atmosphere.
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Introduction:
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To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day
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Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say
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No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip
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for the stranger there amongst them had a big iron on his hip
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Big iron on his hip
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It was early in the morning when he rode into the town
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He came ridin' from the south side slowly lookin' all around
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He's an outlaw loose and runnin' came the whisper from each lip
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And he's here to do some business with the big iron on his hip
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big iron on his hip
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In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red
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Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead
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He was vicious and a killer though a youth of twenty four
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And the notches on his pistol numbered one and nineteen more
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One and nineteen more
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Now the stranger started talking, made it plain to folks around
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Was an Arizona ranger, wouldn't be too long in town
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He came here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead
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And he said it didn't matter, he was after Texas Red
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After Texas Red
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Wasn't long before the story was relayed to Texas Red
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But the outlaw didn't worry, men that tried before were dead
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Twenty men had tried to take him, twenty men had made a slip
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Twenty one would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip
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Big iron on his hip
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The morning passed so quickly, it was time for them to meet
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It was twenty past eleven when they walked out in the street
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Folks were watching from their windows, everybody held their breath
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They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his death
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About to meet his death
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There was forty feet between them when they stopped to make their play
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And the swiftness of the ranger is still talked about today
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Texas Red had not cleared leather 'fore a bullet fairly ripped
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And the ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip
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Big iron on his hip
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It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered round
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There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground
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Oh, he might have gone on living but he made one fatal slip
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When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
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Big iron on his hip
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Big iron, big iron
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When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip