Lewis began recording in the mid… Read Full Bio ↴Hopeton Lewis is a Jamaican singer.
Lewis began recording in the mid-1960s, and had one of the earliest rocksteady hits with "Take It Easy" in late 1966. He had several more Jamaican hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including the first 'herb' song ever recorded in Jamaica, "Cool Collie", worked for Duke Reid as an arranger and backing singer, and won the Festival Song Contest in 1970 with "Boom Shaka Lacka". He began working as a singer with Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, and in 1971 had a hit with "Grooving Out On Life". He continued to release records, but his success after the early 1970s was limited.
Since the late 1990s, Lewis has re-emerged as a Gospel singer.
Don't Take Your Guns To Town
Hopeton Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A Young Cowboy Named Billy Joe
Grew Restless On The Farm
A Boy Filled With Wanderlust
Who Really Meant No Harm
He Changed His Clothes And Shined His Boots
And Combed His Dark Hair Down
And His Mother Cried As He Walked Out;
Leave Your Guns At Home, Bill
Don′t Take Your Guns To Town.
He Sang A Song As On He Rode,
His Guns Hung At His Hips
He Rode Into A Cattle Town,
A Smile Upon His Lips
He Stopped And Walked Into A Bar And Laid His Money Down
But His Mother's Words Echoed Again;
Don't Take Your Guns To Town, Son
Leave Your Guns At Home, Bill
Don′t Take Your Guns To Town.
He Drank His First Strong Liquor Then To Calm His Shaking Hand
And Tried To Tell Himself At Last He Had Become A Man
A Dusty Cowpoke At His Side Began To Laugh Him Down
And He Heard Again His Mother′s Words;
Don't Take Your Guns To Town, Son
Leave Your Guns At Home, Bill
Don′t Take Your Guns To Town.
Bill Was Raged And Billy Joe Reached For His Gun To Draw
But The Stranger Drew His Gun And Fired Before He Even Saw
As Billy Joe Fell To The Floor The Crowd All Gathered 'Round
And Wondered At His Final Words;
Don′t Take Your Guns To Town, Son
Leave Your Guns At Home, Bill
Don't Take Your Guns To Town.
Hopeton Lewis's song Don't Take Your Guns To Town tells the story of a young cowboy named Billy Joe who yearns for a life beyond the farm. The first verse establishes Billy Joe as a restless young man with a desire for adventure. He changes his clothes, shines his boots, and combs his hair as he prepares to leave home. His mother is tearful as she watches him go, and she implores him not to take his guns with him. The refrain repeats the warning, emphasizing the importance of leaving violence behind.
As Billy Joe heads to a cattle town in the second verse, he sings a song and carries his guns with him. He seems confident and happy as he enters a bar and lays down his money. However, the memory of his mother's caution soon comes back to him, and he becomes anxious. He drinks to calm his nerves but is mocked by a dusty cowpoke. When he reaches for his gun, a stranger beats him to the draw and shoots him. The crowd gathers around, and Billy Joe's last words are a repetition of his mother's warning not to wear guns to town.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't Take Your Guns To Town
A warning against carrying weapons into a populated area
A Young Cowboy Named Billy Joe
The singer of the story
Grew Restless On The Farm
Billy Joe was bored with farm life
A Boy Filled With Wanderlust
Billy Joe had a desire to explore the world and seek adventure
Who Really Meant No Harm
Despite his restlessness and desire for adventure, Billy Joe was not a bad person
He Changed His Clothes And Shined His Boots
Billy Joe prepared himself for his journey
And Combed His Dark Hair Down
He wanted to look his best for his travels
And His Mother Cried As He Walked Out;
Billy Joe's mother was worried about him
Don't Take Your Guns To Town, Son
His mother warned him not to bring his guns with him
Leave Your Guns At Home, Bill
His mother's plea for him to avoid carrying weapons
He Sang A Song As On He Rode,
Billy Joe was in a good mood and happy to be on his way
His Guns Hung At His Hips
Despite his mother's warning, Billy Joe carried his weapons
He Rode Into A Cattle Town,
Billy Joe arrived in a new town
A Smile Upon His Lips
Billy Joe was happy and carefree
He Stopped And Walked Into A Bar And Laid His Money Down
Billy Joe went to a bar and ordered a drink
But His Mother's Words Echoed Again;
Billy Joe's mother's warning came to his mind once more
He Drank His First Strong Liquor Then To Calm His Shaking Hand
Billy Joe needed a drink to steady his nerves
And Tried To Tell Himself At Last He Had Become A Man
Billy Joe saw drinking alcohol as a rite of passage
A Dusty Cowpoke At His Side Began To Laugh Him Down
A stranger mocked Billy Joe for his lack of experience
And He Heard Again His Mother′s Words;
Billy Joe was reminded of his mother's warning
Bill Was Raged And Billy Joe Reached For His Gun To Draw
Billy Joe became angry and attempted to draw his weapon
But The Stranger Drew His Gun And Fired Before He Even Saw
The stranger shot Billy Joe before he had a chance to react
As Billy Joe Fell To The Floor The Crowd All Gathered 'Round
Billy Joe was fatally wounded and people rushed to his aid
And Wondered At His Final Words;
People were curious about the last thing Billy Joe said
Don't Take Your Guns To Town, Son
Billy Joe's dying words were his mother's warning
Leave Your Guns At Home, Bill
His final plea for others to avoid making the same mistake
Don't Take Your Guns To Town.
The repetition of the warning as a message to the listener
Writer(s): Johnny Cash
Contributed by Emma P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
blakbeltjonez
great tune - this was also the backing track for Bobby Ellis' big hit "Up Park Camp" a year later.
Michael A Such
I did a report on Ska and Rocksteady recently for a humanities class I just finished. I’ve been finding I really have great respect more for the artists than when I used to skank in the 90’s.
Cláudio Mateus
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AlexErvilha Malvarisco
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