Lyrics
[Verse]
In the town of Agua Fria
Rode a stranger one fine day
Hardly spoke a word
Kept his secrets tucked away
No one dared to question him
No one dared to take a chance
For the gunslinger in their midst wore a big iron on his pants
Oh
[Verse 2]
As the morning sun was rising
He rode into town
Eyes scanning every corner
Looking all around
Whispers of his outlaw past spread like wildfire
Like a flame
And they knew he was here to settle some unfinished business
By any name
Oh
[Chorus]
He's the gunslinger in the shadows
The hero or the foe
With a heart as cold as steel
A story no one knows
He's the gunslinger in the shadows
A legend in the west
A figure cast in darkness
His fate put to the test
Oh
[Verse 3]
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
[Verse 4]
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
[Chorus]
He's the gunslinger in the shadows
The hero or the foe
With a heart as cold as steel
A story no one knows
He's the gunslinger in the shadows
A legend in the west
A figure cast in darkness
His fate put to the test
Oh
[Verse 5]
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
[Verse 6]
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
[Chorus]
He's the gunslinger in the shadows
The hero or the foe
With a heart as cold as steel
A story no one knows
He's the gunslinger in the shadows
A legend in the west
A figure cast in darkness
His fate put to the test
Oh
[Verse 7]
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
[Verse 8]
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 the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
[Outro]
Big iron, big iron
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip