Dean Brody was born in Jaffray, British Columbia, Canada.[2] As a boy, Brody worked at a sawmill, also playing guitar in his spare time. By 2004, he had moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue his musical career. Although he found a songwriting contract, the expiration of his US work permit forced him to move back to Canada. Eventually, he returned to Nashville through the suggestion of producer Keith Stegall, who helped him sign with Broken Bow Records in 2008.[2] Brody released his debut single, "Brothers", late that year. Shortly before its release, Brody was injured in a waterskiing accident.[3]
Cattleman's Gun
Dean Brody Lyrics
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Sheepskin cloak across his back
A preacher man with kind old eyes
And a mystery for a past
He said he'd come to teach about
The love of God
But he soon learned what they were missing there
Was justice and the law
There was a cattleman who claimed his clan
Owned all the land around
And any brave fool who that might dispute
He was quick to snuff 'em out
He'd say, "Take my heed
And you won't pay the price
'Cause honor and a name ain't worth a damn
If you don't have your life"
He'd say, "Ain't nobody faster than this cattle man's gun
I'm a rattlesnake on the trigger
Your last stand'll be lyin' in the sand
Fallin' to the slam of my hammer"
So one man taught forgiveness
While the other taught suffering
The preacher said deliverance
Could be found out on their knees
He said, "I know that you want justice
And you want blood
But believe me when I say to you
Don't try be that man's judge
'Cause ain't nobody faster than that cattleman's gun
He's a rattlesnake on the trigger
Fallin' to the slam of his hammer"
One day a young farmer brought his sons to town for feed
And he noticed that the streets were quiet, and he knew what that might mean
The smoke rose in the distance
His farm burned to the ground
He let the fury overtake him
When Cattle Man came back to town
Those boys ran out from behind the crowd
And watched their daddy die
The big man laughed and said, "Now look at that
Anybody else wanna give it a try?"
Well, the church doors opened
With that black cloak flowin' behind the preacher's fiery eyes
He said, "Your ticket to Hell is a comin' to you
And I got a hollow-point to give you the ride"
And the only thing faster than the Cattle Man's gun
Was the preacher man's hand and finger
He pulled iron from his side and let that bullet fly
Beat the rattlesnake to the hammer
Why the preacher embraced forgiveness
Oh, they finally understood
Under that sheepskin cloak of his
Was a history of blood
The lyrics of Dean Brody’s song “Cattleman’s Gun” tells a story about two men with different ideologies brought to the same town. The first is a preacher who comes to the town to spread the love of God, while the second is a cattleman who believes that his clan owns all the land and kills anyone who disputes that fact. The preacher tries to teach forgiveness and deliverance through prayer, while the cattleman believes that the only way to protect oneself is to have the power to take someone's life. The chorus emphasizes the danger of going up against the cattleman, whose gun is the fastest in the land.
As the story progresses, tension builds when the cattleman burns down a young farmer’s farm, killing the farmer in front of his children. In response, the preacher challenges the cattleman to a gunfight, and the resulting showdown ends with the preacher winning with his “hollow-point bullet.” In the end, it is revealed that the preacher has a violent past as well, with a “history of blood” concealed beneath his “sheepskin cloak.”
The lyrics of this song tell a complex story of the conflicting ideologies of justice and forgiveness, and the power dynamics of violence and control. Through the characters of the preacher and the cattleman, Brody presents a nuanced exploration of these themes, and the story builds to a dramatic and violent climax that ultimately emphasizes the importance of justice over revenge.
Line by Line Meaning
He rode into town one dust storm
On a dusty day, he rode his horse into town
Sheepskin cloak across his back
He had a sheepskin cloak on his back
A preacher man with kind old eyes
He was a preacher with gentle old eyes
And a mystery for a past
His past was unknown and mysterious
He said he'd come to teach about the love of God
He claimed to have come to preach about God's love
But he soon learned what they were missing there. Was justice and the law
However, he discovered that the town lacked justice and lawful behavior
There was a cattleman who claimed his clan owned all the land around
The town had a rancher who believed his family owned all the land in the area
And any brave fool who that might dispute. He was quick to snuff 'em out
He was hostile towards anyone who dared to disagree with him
He'd say, "Take my heed. And you won't pay the price. 'Cause honor and a name ain't worth a damn. If you don't have your life"
He would warn anyone who dared to challenge him that they would pay with their life, which was more valuable than honor or reputation
He'd say, "Ain't nobody faster than this cattle man's gun. I'm a rattlesnake on the trigger. Your last stand'll be lyin' in the sand. Fallin' to the slam of my hammer"
He thought that he was a faster shooter than anyone else and boasted about being as fast as a rattlesnake on the trigger. He believed that anyone who opposed him would end up dead on the ground
So one man taught forgiveness. While the other taught suffering
The preacher taught about forgiveness, while the rancher believed in causing pain and misery
The preacher said deliverance. Could be found out on their knees
The preacher believed that salvation was attainable through prayer and humility
He said, "I know that you want justice. And you want blood. But believe me when I say to you. Don't try be that man's judge
Although he acknowledged that the people wanted justice and revenge, he warned them not to seek revenge and take the law into their own hands
'Cause ain't nobody faster than that cattleman's gun. He's a rattlesnake on the trigger. Your last stand'll be lyin' in the sand. Fallin' to the slam of his hammer'
He reminds them that nobody is faster than the rancher's gun, and it's futile to try to challenge him. He suggests that anyone who tries might end up dead
One day a young farmer brought his sons to town for feed
One day, a young farmer came to town with his sons to buy some feed
And he noticed that the streets were quiet, and he knew what that might mean
He observed that the town was unusually quiet, which made him suspicious of something bad happening
The smoke rose in the distance. His farm burned to the ground
He saw smoke in the distance, and later realized that it was his farm burning down
He let the fury overtake him. When Cattle Man came back to town
When the rancher came back to town, the farmer couldn't control his anger and let it consume him
Those boys ran out from behind the crowd. And watched their daddy die
The farmer's sons appeared from the crowd and watched their father die
The big man laughed and said, "Now look at that. Anybody else wanna give it a try?"
The rancher found joy in killing the farmer and taunted anyone else to try to oppose him
Well, the church doors opened. With that black cloak flowin' behind the preacher's fiery eyes
The church doors opened, and the preacher appeared with his black cloak flowing behind him and a fierce look in his eyes
He said, "Your ticket to Hell is a comin' to you. And I got a hollow-point to give you the ride"
He warned the rancher that hell was waiting for him and pulled out a hollow-point bullet to shoot him
And the only thing faster than the Cattle Man's gun. Was the preacher man's hand and finger
The preacher's hand and finger were faster than the rancher's gun
He pulled iron from his side and let that bullet fly. Beat the rattlesnake to the hammer
He quickly drew his gun and shot the rancher before he could react. He was faster than the rattlesnake on the gun's trigger
Why the preacher embraced forgiveness. Oh, they finally understood. Under that sheepskin cloak of his. Was a history of blood
The meaning behind the preacher's emphasis on forgiveness became clearer. Underneath his sheepskin cloak, he had a violent past and a history of killing
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Dean Brody
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind