Shortly after high school, in 1970, with fellow Lubbock musicians Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, he formed The Flatlanders. According to Ely, "Jimmie was like a well of country music. He knew everything about it. And Butch was from the folk world. I was kinda the rock & roll guy, and we almost had a triad. We hit it off and started playing a lot together. That opened up a whole new world I had never known existed." In 1972, the band released their first and— until 2002's Now Again— only album, but have appeared together on each other's albums. Since the band's initial break-up just after their album was cut, the three musicians have followed individual paths.
Ely's own first album, self titled, was released in 1977. The following year, his band played London where he met punk rock group The Clash. Impressed with each other's performances, the two bands would later tour together, including appearances in Ely's hometown of Lubbock, as well as Laredo and Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas.
Since then, a steady stream of albums have followed, most on the MCA label. Ely's live performances have become legendary, and he has released a live album roughly every ten years (the last was Live at Antone's in 2000). He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce Springsteen, Los Super Seven, David Grissom, and James McMurtry in addition to his early work with The Clash and more recent acoustic tours with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark.
In the late 1990s, Ely was asked to write songs for Robert Redford's movie The Horse Whisperer, which led to reforming The Flatlanders with Gilmore and Hancock for an appearance on the movie soundtrack. A new album from the trio followed in 2002, with a third in 2004.
In February 2007, Ely released "Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch" on his own label, Rack 'Em Records. A book of Ely's writings was published in early 2007 by the University of Texas Press. Ely also released a second album of old lyrics that he has finally recorded.
Several other reissues of Ely's previous work were due out later in 2007 on Rack 'Em.
Me And Billy The Kid
Joe Ely Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't like the way he cocked his hat
And he wore his gun all wrong
We had the same girlfriend
And he never forgot it
She had a cute little Chihuahua
Until one day he up and shot it
He rode the hard country down the New Mexico line
He crippled the piano player
For playin' his favorite song
No, Me and Billy the Kid never got along
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
I didn't like the way he parted his hair
And he wore his gun all wrong
He was bad to the bone
All hopped up on speed
I would've left him alone
If it wasn't for that Senorita
He gave her silver and he paid her hotel bill
But it was me she loved and she said she always will
I'd always go and see her
When Billy was gone
Yeah, Me and Billy the Kid never got along
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
I didn't like the way he tied his shoes
And he wore his gun all wrong
One day I said to Billy
I've got this foolproof scheme
We'll rob Wells Fargo
It's bustin at the seams
I admit that I framed him but I don't feel bad
Cause the way I was livin' was drivin' me mad
Billy reached for his gun
But his gun was on wrong
Yeah, Me and Billy the Kid never got along
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
But I did like the way he swayed in the wind
While I played him his favorite song
Now my baby sings harmony with me
To La Cucaracha
She winds her silver pocket watch
And pets her new Chihuahua
I moved in to the Hotel and got a room with a shower
We lay and listen to that watch tick hour after hour
Outside I hear the wind
Blowin' o so strong
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
The song Me And Billy The Kid by Joe Ely is a narrative about the complicated relationship between the singer and his nemesis, Billy the Kid. As the title suggests, the song mentions the iconic outlaw who became legendary for his daring robberies and killings in the late 1800s. The lyrics reveal the hostility that exists between the two characters, expressed through their disapproval of each other's fashion sense, behavior and lifestyle. The singer resents Billy for wearing his gun incorrectly and for allegedly shooting his girlfriend's beloved Chihuahua. Furthermore, he labels the outlaw as recklessly wild, with an addiction to speed, who often carried out violent deeds like wounding a piano player for playing his favorite tune. The singer also hints at having an affair with Billy's girlfriend and frames him for a robbery gone wrong to eliminate him as a threat. Despite the animosity between them, the singer claims to appreciate the Kid's love for music and how he swayed to the rhythm of the song while the singer played it. The concluding lines imply that the singer has moved on in life, found a new lover and is now spending his days enjoying the gentle sounds of his partner's timepiece, away from any danger that haunted his past.
Line by Line Meaning
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
The singer and Billy the Kid never had a good relationship.
I didn't like the way he cocked his hat
The singer didn't like Billy's style.
And he wore his gun all wrong
Billy didn't wear his gun like the singer thought he should.
We had the same girlfriend
The artist and Billy both dated the same woman.
And he never forgot it
Billy had hard feelings towards the artist because of their shared girlfriend.
She had a cute little Chihuahua
Their girlfriend had a small dog.
Until one day he up and shot it
Billy killed the dog.
He rode the hard country down the New Mexico line
Billy was a wanderer and traveled through rugged areas in New Mexico.
He had a silver pocketwatch that he never did wind
Billy had a pocket watch but never wound it.
He crippled the piano player
Billy hurt someone who played piano.
For playin' his favorite song
Billy didn't like hearing his favorite song played by someone else.
No, Me and Billy the Kid never got along
The artist reiterates that he and Billy never had a good relationship.
He was bad to the bone
Billy was a bad person.
All hopped up on speed
Billy was under the influence of drugs.
I would've left him alone
The singer didn't want to be around Billy.
If it wasn't for that Senorita
The artist only interacted with Billy because of their shared girlfriend.
He gave her silver and he paid her hotel bill
Billy spent money on the shared girlfriend.
But it was me she loved and she said she always will
The girlfriend had stronger feelings for the singer than for Billy.
I'd always go and see her
The singer spent time with the girlfriend when Billy was away.
When Billy was gone
The artist didn't want to be around Billy.
One day I said to Billy
The artist had an idea to rob a bank with Billy.
I've got this foolproof scheme
The artist thought his idea was guaranteed to succeed.
We'll rob Wells Fargo
The plan was to rob a specific bank.
It's bustin at the seams
The bank was overflowing with money.
I admit that I framed him but I don't feel bad
The singer confesses to framing Billy for the bank robbery but doesn't regret it.
Cause the way I was livin' was drivin' me mad
The singer's previous lifestyle was making him crazy.
Billy reached for his gun
Billy tried to get his gun out during the robbery plan.
But his gun was on wrong
Billy's gun was not in the right position to use quickly.
Yeah, Me and Billy the Kid never got along
The artist still thinks back on his poor relationship with Billy.
But I did like the way he swayed in the wind
The singer appreciated Billy's physical appearance.
While I played him his favorite song
The singer played Billy's favorite song to him.
Now my baby sings harmony with me
The artist is now in a relationship with a new woman who sings with him.
To La Cucaracha
The couple sings a song called La Cucaracha.
She winds her silver pocket watch
His new girlfriend winds her pocket watch.
And pets her new Chihuahua
They have a new small dog.
I moved in to the Hotel and got a room with a shower
The artist and his new girlfriend are living in a hotel.
We lay and listen to that watch tick hour after hour
The couple lays in bed and listens to the ticking of the pocket watch.
Outside I hear the wind
It is windy outside.
Blowin' o so strong
The wind is very strong.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOE ELY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
F A S T
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
I didn't like the way he cocked his hat
And he wore his gun all wrong
We had the same girlfriend
And he never forgot it
She had a cute little Chihuahua
Until one day he up and shot it
He rode the hard country down the New Mexico line
He had a silver pocketwatch that he never did wind
He crippled the piano player
For playin' his favorite song
No, Me and Billy the Kid never got along
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
I didn't like the way he parted his hair
And he wore his gun all wrong
He was bad to the bone
All hopped up on speed
I would've left him alone
If it wasn't for that Senorita
He gave her silver and he paid her hotel bill
But it was me she loved and she said she always will
I'd always go and see her
When Billy was gone
Yeah, Me and Billy the Kid never got along
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
I didn't like the way he tied his shoes
And he wore his gun all wrong
One day I said to Billy
I've got this foolproof scheme
We'll rob Wells Fargo
It's bustin at the seams
I admit that I framed him but I don't feel bad
Cause the way I was livin' was drivin' me mad
Billy reached for his gun
But his gun was on wrong
Yeah, Me and Billy the Kid never got along
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
But I did like the way he swayed in the wind
While I played him his favorite song
Now my baby sings harmony with me
To La Cucaracha
She winds her silver pocket watch
And pets her new Chihuahua
I moved in to the Hotel and got a room with a shower
We lay and listen to that watch tick hour after hour
Outside I hear the wind
Blowin' o so strong
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
joseph lemko
One of the most underrated performers of all time.
Evan Howell
Joe Ely awesome!!! Remember seeing him doing this song on Austin City Limits back in mid 90s. Great singer & songwriter.
James Jones
Joe Ely is one of the Best song writers of all time.
asparwhite86
One of my favorite songs!
tom nagy
Love this song.
Winston Tucker
I first heard Marty Stuart cover this, didn't know then it was a Joe Ely song. Both versions are great.
Sam Duckworth
man i used to listen to this in my dads car good to hear it again
F A S T
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
I didn't like the way he cocked his hat
And he wore his gun all wrong
We had the same girlfriend
And he never forgot it
She had a cute little Chihuahua
Until one day he up and shot it
He rode the hard country down the New Mexico line
He had a silver pocketwatch that he never did wind
He crippled the piano player
For playin' his favorite song
No, Me and Billy the Kid never got along
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
I didn't like the way he parted his hair
And he wore his gun all wrong
He was bad to the bone
All hopped up on speed
I would've left him alone
If it wasn't for that Senorita
He gave her silver and he paid her hotel bill
But it was me she loved and she said she always will
I'd always go and see her
When Billy was gone
Yeah, Me and Billy the Kid never got along
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
I didn't like the way he tied his shoes
And he wore his gun all wrong
One day I said to Billy
I've got this foolproof scheme
We'll rob Wells Fargo
It's bustin at the seams
I admit that I framed him but I don't feel bad
Cause the way I was livin' was drivin' me mad
Billy reached for his gun
But his gun was on wrong
Yeah, Me and Billy the Kid never got along
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
But I did like the way he swayed in the wind
While I played him his favorite song
Now my baby sings harmony with me
To La Cucaracha
She winds her silver pocket watch
And pets her new Chihuahua
I moved in to the Hotel and got a room with a shower
We lay and listen to that watch tick hour after hour
Outside I hear the wind
Blowin' o so strong
Me and Billy the Kid never got along
Ashley Meggan
The Pat Green version!!
squalter kaufmann
Dallas and Musta Notta made it onto a ‘93 mix tape (31 Golden Favorites); how tf did this not make the cut? Two-song-max rule. Most got one cut. 🎸🤩