Waterhole
Outlaws Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Five brothers who left Arkansas
Set out to find the gambler
Who murdered their pa
Five brothers and three in their teens
Gotta find the man
Who killed their pa in New Orleans

They heard of him in Houston
And his trail was leadin' west
He'd left there many months ago
And so they couldn't rest
Five brothers and three in their teens
Gotta find the man
Who killed their pa in New Orleans
New Orleans

The sun was hot as fire
And the nights were cold as steel
Hate was strong and youth was wild
And so they couldn't feel
Five brothers and three in their teens
Gotta find the man
Who killed their pa in New Orleans

His trail led to the Badlands
And the desert promised death
The gambler's odds were different now
He treasured every breath
Five brothers and three in their teens
Close behind the man
Who killed their pa in New Orleans
New Orleans

When first they saw the killer
He was by the waterhole
Five rifles rang out through the night
They killed the gambler cold
Five brothers and three in their teens
Finally got the man
Who killed their pa in New Orleans

The desert is their keeper now
For this a traveler said
That poison lived within the hole
Now six of them are dead
Five brothers and three in their teens
Lay beside the man
Who killed their pa in New Orleans




Lay beside the man
Who killed their pa in New Orleans

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Waterhole" by Outlaws tell a story of five brothers seeking revenge for the murder of their father at the hands of a gambler in New Orleans. The brothers embark on a dangerous journey that leads them through different cities and into the Badlands, where they finally catch up with the killer by a waterhole. The sun and nights are harsh, the hate for the killer is strong, but the brothers' desire for justice drives them forward. When they finally corner the gambler, they open fire and kill him, but their victory is short-lived. A traveler warns them that the waterhole is poisoned, and soon after, all six men, including the three teenagers, lay dead beside the man who killed their pa in New Orleans.


The lyrics to "Waterhole" are a tragic tale of revenge that highlights the consequences of violence and the power of hate. The brothers' determination to avenge their father's death leads them to take extreme measures, and while they do get the closure they seek, it comes at a cost. The desert and the poisoned waterhole serve as symbols for the dangerous and unforgiving nature of their quest, warning of the inevitable and fatal outcome. Overall, the song paints a vivid picture of the Old West era and the realities of seeking justice through violence.


Line by Line Meaning

Five brothers who left Arkansas
A group of five brothers from Arkansas set out on a journey.


Set out to find the gambler
Their mission was to find the gambler.


Who murdered their pa
The gambler had killed their father.


Five brothers and three in their teens
The group consisted of five adult brothers and three teenage brothers.


Gotta find the man
Their sole purpose was to find the man who killed their father.


Who killed their pa in New Orleans
The father was killed in New Orleans.


They heard of him in Houston
They received information about the killer's whereabouts in Houston.


And his trail was leadin' west
The killer was heading westward.


He'd left there many months ago
The killer had left Houston many months earlier.


And so they couldn't rest
The brothers were determined to find the killer and could not rest until they did.


The sun was hot as fire
The sun was extremely hot.


And the nights were cold as steel
The nights were very cold.


Hate was strong and youth was wild
The brothers were filled with strong hatred and were young and wild.


And so they couldn't feel
Their emotions were so strong that they were unable to feel anything else.


His trail led to the Badlands
The killer's trail led to the Badlands.


And the desert promised death
The harsh desert terrain was potentially fatal.


The gambler's odds were different now
The odds were against the gambler now that the brothers were close behind him.


He treasured every breath
The killer was conscious of every breath he took.


Close behind the man
The brothers were getting closer to the man and his trail.


When first they saw the killer
When they first saw the killer, he was at the waterhole.


He was by the waterhole
The killer was near a waterhole.


Five rifles rang out through the night
The brothers fired their rifles at the killer.


They killed the gambler cold
The brothers succeeded in killing the killer.


Finally got the man
The brothers had achieved their objective of finding the killer.


The desert is their keeper now
The desert now holds their fate.


For this a traveler said
A traveler had warned them of this danger.


That poison lived within the hole
The waterhole was poisoned.


Now six of them are dead
Six of the brothers, including the three teenage brothers, died due to the poisoned waterhole.


Lay beside the man
They lay dead beside the killer.


Who killed their pa in New Orleans
The killer responsible for their father's death was finally brought to justice.


New Orleans
The city where their father was killed.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BYRON LAMONT YOHO, FRANK O'KEEFE, HENRY PAUL III, HUGHIE THOMASSON, WILLIAM HARLIN HARLIN JONES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@thomasd9237

Saw the original lineup live right after this came out. simply put - Amazing!! Blistering guitar work. Outlaws - one of the greatest bands of all time. Hughie T. does not get the recognition he deserves He was one of the greatest guitarists Ever.!. really miss this music and that kind of talent

@zumajim

Still brings a smile to my face with every listen. These guys were ungodly talented.

@terrianneharrison5669

This whole album is amazing. So many years later and remember every song!

@rjwintl

Billy Jones solo on 'Waterhole' is truly amazing !!!

@TamaDrumNut

One of the best short instrumentals ever! RIP Hughie, Gone but not forgotten

@mohawkmike142

This tune injects happiness into every situation. You just can't be blue with Hughie in your left ear and Billy in your right. Was there ever a better produced album than this one? Don't think so. Long live the southern guitar army.

@ZON-eu6fx

This is a kickin' little tune, isn't it? I was 21 and deployed overseas when this song came out. Sadly, I don't remember it but I'm sure glad that I found it.

@JamieMitchellMusic

WOW, I grew up on this stuff, its still is better then anything out there today. Thanks for posting

@WarrenPaulHarris

Spectacular example of Southern Guitar Rock by The Outlaws. There is nothing quite like filling a stage with guitarists.

@pga007

Thanks for posting this! I lost my album but always loved this song!

More Comments

More Versions