Though A Youth Of Twenty-Four...

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 ridin' from the south side
    slowly lookin' all around
"He's an outlaw loose and runnin'" 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 talkin'
    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

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 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

          -"Big Iron"
            Marty Robbins, Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs