The Devil's Right Hand
Gustavo Santaolalla Lyrics

About the time that Daddy left to fight the big war
When my father left to join the war, it marked a significant point in my life

I saw my first pistol in the general store
It was in the general store that I first laid eyes on a handgun

In the general store, when I was thirteen
I was only thirteen years old at the time, still young and impressionable

Thought it was the finest thing I ever had seen
To me, that pistol seemed like the most exquisite object I had ever encountered

So l asked if I could have one someday when I grew up
Filled with curiosity and longing, I asked if I could possess a pistol when I became an adult

Mama dropped a dozen eggs, she really blew up
My mother was furious and even dropped a dozen eggs in her anger

She really blew up and I didn't understand
I couldn't comprehend the intensity of my mother's anger and reaction

Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
My mother enlightened me, explaining that firearms are tools of evil and destruction

My very first pistol was a cap and ball Colt
The first handgun I owned was a cap and ball Colt, an old-fashioned type of firearm

Shoot as fast as lightnin' but it loads a might slow
Although it could be fired rapidly, this pistol took a considerable amount of time to reload

Loads a might slow and soon I found out
I quickly realized that the slow reloading speed of the pistol could lead to trouble

It can get you into trouble but it can't get you out
While the pistol had the potential to land me in problematic situations, it couldn't save me from those predicaments

So then I went and bought myself a Colt 45
In response, I decided to purchase a Colt 45 revolver

Called a peacemaker but I never knew why
This revolver was commonly referred to as a peacemaker, although the reason behind the name was unclear to me

Never knew why, I didn't understand
I still couldn't fully grasp the significance and implications of owning such a weapon

Cause Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
Yet again, my mother's words rang in my ears, reminding me of the pistol's association with malevolence and wickedness

Well I get into a card game in a company town
One day, I found myself participating in a card game in a town predominantly owned by a single corporation

Caught a miner cheating I shot the dog down
After discovering that a miner was cheating, I impulsively shot his dog in response

Shot the dog down, watched the man fall
Witnessing the dog's demise, I observed the miner collapsing to the ground

Never touched his holster, never had a chance to draw
To my surprise, I never even had to remove my pistol from its holster as the conflict ended swiftly

The trial was in the morning and they drug me out of bed
The following morning, I was forcefully taken out of bed for the trial

Asked me how I pleaded, not guilty I said
When asked about my plea, I confidently proclaimed my innocence, stating that I was not guilty

Not guilty I said, you've got the wrong man
Reiterating my innocence, I asserted that the authorities had mistakenly accused the wrong person

Nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand
Despite the fact that I hadn't physically pulled the trigger, it was still the pistol, symbolizing evil, that had caused the events to unfold