Born in Glendale, Arizona, Robbins taught himself guitar while serving in the United States Navy during World War II, and subsequently drew fame performing in clubs in and around his hometown. In 1956, he released his first No. 1 country song, "Singing the Blues" and one year later, released two more No. 1 hits, "A White Sport Coat" and "The Story of My Life". In 1959, Robbins released his signature song, "El Paso", for which he won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. Later releases that drew critical acclaim include "Don't Worry", "Big Iron" and "Honkytonk Man", the last for which the 1982 Clint Eastwood film is named, and in which Robbins made his final appearance before death.
Over the course of his career, Robbins recorded more than 500 songs and 60 albums, and won two Grammy Awards, was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was named the 1960s Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music. Robbins was a commercial success in both the country and pop genres, and his songs were covered by many other famous artists, including Johnny Cash, the Grateful Dead and Elvis Presley. His music continues to have an influence in pop culture today, having recently appeared in several contemporary pop culture features, including the video game Fallout: New Vegas, and the series finale of AMC's Breaking Bad.
Robbins was born in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix in Maricopa County, Arizona. His mother was mostly of Paiute Indian heritage. Robbins grew up in a difficult family situation. His father took odd jobs to support the family of 10 children; however, his hard drinking led to divorce in 1937. Among his warmer memories of his childhood, Robbins recalled having listened to stories of the American West told by his maternal grandfather, Texas Bob Heckle, who was a local medicine man. At 17, Robbins left his troubled home to serve in the United States Navy as an LCT coxswain during World War II. He was stationed in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean. To pass the time during the war, he learned to play the guitar, started writing songs, and came to love Hawaiian music.
Robbins' discography consists of 52 studio albums, 13 compilation albums, and 100 singles. In his career, Robbins charted 17 Number One singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, as well as 82 Top 40 singles.
Robbins' highest charting album is 1959's Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. It charted to #6 on the all-genre Billboard 200, and was also certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album's first single, "El Paso", became a hit on both the country and pop charts, charting to Number One on the Hot Country Songs as well as the Billboard Hot 100. While that would be his only pop Number One, in 1957, "A White Sport Coat" charted to #2, and in 1961, "Don't Worry" charted to #3.
His final Top 10 single was "Honkytonk Man" from the 1982 eponymous film in which Robbins had a role. He died shortly before its release. Since his death, four posthumous studio albums have been released, but they made no impact on the charts.
Robbins married Marizona "Mari" Baldwin on September 27, 1948. They had two children, Ronny and Janet, and were married 34 years until his death.
Big Iron
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say
No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip
The stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
It was early in the morning when he rode into the town
He came riding from the south side, slowly lookin' all around
"And he's here to do some business with a big iron on his hip"
"Big iron on his hip"
In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red
Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead
He was vicious and a killer, though a youth of twenty four
And the notches on his pistol numbered one and nineteen more
One and nineteen more
Now the stranger started talkin' made it plain to folks around
Was an Arizona ranger, wouldn't be too long in town
He came here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead
And he said it didn't matter he was after Texas Red
After Texas Red
Wasn't long before this story was relayed to Texas Red
But the outlaw didn't worry, men that tried before were dead
Twenty men had tried to take him, twenty men had made a slip
Twenty one would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
Now the morning passed so quickly it was time for them to meet
It was twenty past eleven when they walked out in the street
Folks were watchin' from the windows
Every body held their breath
They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his death
About to meet his death
There was forty feet between them
When they stopped to make their play
And the swiftness of the Ranger is still talked about today
Texas Red had not cleared leather for a bullet fairly ripped
And the ranger's aim was deadly, with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered 'round
There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground
Oh, he might have went on livin' but he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
Big iron, big iron
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
The song "Big Iron" by Marty Robbins narrates the story of a stranger who arrives in the town of Agua Fria with a loaded gun on his hip. The people in the town, scared for their own safety, don't dare ask the stranger any questions about his intentions. Rumors spread quickly about the stranger, that he is an Arizona ranger, and that he is after a notorious outlaw named Texas Red. The outlaw, with over twenty kills to his name, is described as one of the most vicious killers around. The stranger makes himself known as the ranger who has come to take Texas Red back, whether dead or alive.
As the ranger and Texas Red prepare for their showdown, the people of the town stand by and watch. The gunslingers are now in a position where they must defend themselves and fight to the death. The ranger's gun is quicker and more accurate as he manages to shoot Texas Red before he can even draw his weapon. The outlaw falls to the ground, dead. The people of the town come out to see what has happened and witness the sheer skill of the ranger's marksmanship.
"Big Iron" is a wonderfully crafted story of the wild west, containing classic elements such as the "quick draw" showdown and the mysterious ranger who rides in to serve justice. The song captures the drama and tension inherent in a face-off between two legendary gunslingers. The lyrics are rich with detail and paint a clear image of the scene, including everything from the whisperings of the townsfolk to the final shots fired.
Line by Line Meaning
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
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Martin Robinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MarioRafaelM
Lyrics:
To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day
Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say
No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip
For the stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
It was early in the morning when he rode into the town
He came riding from the south side slowly lookin' all around
He's an outlaw loose and running, came the whisper from each lip
And he's here to do some business with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red
Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead
He was vicious and a killer though a youth of 24
And the notches on his pistol numbered one and 19 more
One and 19 more
Now the stranger started talking, made it plain to folks around
Was an Arizona ranger, wouldn't be too long in town
He came here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead
And he said it didn't matter he was after Texas Red
After Texas Red
Wasn't long before the story was relayed to Texas Red
But the outlaw didn't worry men that tried before were dead
20 men had tried to take him, 20 men had made a slip
21 would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
The morning passed so quickly, it was time for them to meet
It was 20 past 11 when they walked out in the street
Folks were watching from the windows, everybody held their breath
They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his death
About to meet his death
There was 40 feet between them when they stopped to make their play
And the swiftness of the ranger is still talked about today
Texas Red had not cleared leather 'fore a bullet fairly ripped
And the ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered round
There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground
Oh, he might have went on living but he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
Big iron, big iron
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
@yigityigitoglu7451
So far I've seen:
Arizona Ranger
Arizona Ranger with a Big Iron on his hip
Arizona Ranger but far away
Big Iron on Arizona Ranger's hip
Big Iron with an Arizona Ranger on his hip
Texas Red, The Outlaw
This town is not big enought for all 6 of you.
@genghiskhan6809
While patrolling this comment section I’v also seen:
Texas Red
Texas Red with a Big Iron on his hip
Texas Red the Outlaw with a Big Iron on his hip
Big Iron on the hip of Texas Red
Big Iron with Texas Red on his hip
Big Iron with Texas Red the Outlaw on his hip
If this was town was already too small for the previous 6, it’s gotten twice for the now 12 of them here.
@ThioJoe
“Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead”
Why does that line go so hard 😩
@kaiserreichmapping805
Didn't expect to see you here!
@diggitydawgs623
No way he listens to big iron
@zachariaseymore5202
"20 men had tried to take him, 20 men had made a slip, 21 would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip"
@4chaffenel117
fr
@patriciajrs46
What do you mean by 'so hard'? Are you asking why it's hard to sing? Or why it hits our hearts so hard? Or maybe why it hurts our ears?
I don't really know, but I guess it could be that it's not grammatically correct, and now days, it's not politically correct either.
@arizonarangerslefthand2943
I wish the Arizona Ranger would hold the Big Iron with me.
@MunchaBuncha
Screw off left hand no one uses you except dual wielded users
@vaasmontenegro9299
@@MunchaBuncha yea the only people who use left hand are rats like Micah Bell
@lucyakaluckstat
@@MunchaBuncha gee okay max payne