Big Iron

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 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
"And 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 killer
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 talking
Made it plain to folks around
He 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 the ranger
With the 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
About 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
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 went on living
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.