It was early in the morning When he rode into the town He came riding from the south side Slowly looking 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 twenty four And the notches on his pistol Numbered one and nineteen more One and nineteen more

Now the stranger started talking Made it plain to folks around He 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 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

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 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 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 '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