Big Iron
Marty Robbins Lyrics

To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day
A stranger rode into the peaceful town of Agua Fria one day

Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say
The stranger was quiet and kept to himself, not talking much to the locals

No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip
Nobody wanted to offend or anger the stranger, so they didn't ask about his purpose in town

The stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip
The stranger was armed with a large gun, visible for all to see

It was early in the morning when he rode into the town
The stranger arrived in Agua Fria during the early hours of the day

He came riding from the south side, slowly lookin' all around
The stranger approached the town from the south, taking note of his surroundings

"He's an outlaw loose and runnin'", came a whisper from each lip
Rumors quickly spread that this stranger was actually an outlaw on the run

"And he's here to do some business with a big iron on his hip"
People speculated that the stranger was in town for violent purposes, due to his weapon

In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red
The town was already home to an infamous outlaw named Texas Red

Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead
Numerous men had attempted to capture or kill Texas Red, but none had succeeded

He was vicious and a killer, though a youth of twenty four
Despite being only 24 years old, Texas Red was known for his violent and deadly ways

And the notches on his pistol numbered one and nineteen more
Texas Red had (allegedly) killed at least 20 people, as evidenced by the tally marks on his gun

Now the stranger started talkin' made it plain to folks around
The stranger began telling the townspeople that he was an Arizona ranger, here to capture or kill Texas Red

Was an Arizona ranger, wouldn't be too long in town
The stranger claimed to be an officer of the law from Arizona, not intending to stay in Agua Fria for long

He came here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead
The ranger's mission was to capture or kill Texas Red, whichever was necessary

And he said it didn't matter he was after Texas Red
The ranger made it clear that his target was specifically Texas Red, not any other criminal in town

Wasn't long before this story was relayed to Texas Red
News of the ranger's presence and mission reached Texas Red soon after he arrived in town

But the outlaw didn't worry, men that tried before were dead
Despite the threat of the ranger, Texas Red was confident in his own skills and reputation for being unbeatable

Twenty men had tried to take him, twenty men had made a slip
Multiple attempts had been made on Texas Red's life or freedom, but all had failed

Twenty one would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip
The ranger, equipped with his large weapon, would be the 21st person to attempt to capture or kill Texas Red

Now the morning passed so quickly it was time for them to meet
The day progressed rapidly, and it was soon time for the final showdown between the ranger and Texas Red

It was twenty past eleven when they walked out in the street
At 11:20 AM, both the ranger and Texas Red emerged onto the street to face off

Folks were watchin' from the windows
The townspeople watched from their windows, aware that they were witnessing a historic moment

Every body held their breath
Everyone present anxiously waited to see what would happen in the confrontation

They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his death
Despite the ranger's good looks and apparent courage, many believed he was facing certain doom against Texas Red

There was forty feet between them
The ranger and Texas Red were separated by a distance of 40 feet

When they stopped to make their play
Both men paused to prepare themselves for the potentially fatal duel to come

And the swiftness of the Ranger is still talked about today
The ranger's quick reflexes and movements are still remembered and discussed, even after the events of the song

Texas Red had not cleared leather for a bullet fairly ripped
Before Texas Red could even draw his gun, the ranger's weapon had fired and struck him

And the ranger's aim was deadly, with the big iron on his hip
The ranger's shot had perfectly hit its target, thanks in part to his intimidating and powerful firearm

It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered 'round
The entire duel was brief and quickly ended, with the onlookers quickly crowding around the two fallen men

There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground
Texas Red had been killed, his body now visible and lifeless on the pavement

Oh, he might have went on livin' but he made one fatal slip
Despite having lived as one of the deadliest outlaws in the land, Texas Red's overconfidence proved to be his undoing

When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
By attempting to face off against the ranger, Texas Red had challenged a more skilled and well-armed adversary, ultimately leading to his death

Big iron, big iron
The song's chorus simply repeats the phrase "big iron", referring to the large weapons carried by both the ranger and Texas Red

When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
The chorus repeats the last line of the final verse, emphasizing the message that Texas Red's decision to challenge the ranger was a fatal mistake