Song Description
"Gunslinger" is the true story of legendary US Deputy US Marshall Bass Reeves. Born in chains as a southern slave, he escaped and made his way to freedom, eventually becoming a lawman who was famous for his prowess and success. After the tragic death of his first wife, he remarried and fathered eleven children.
| Song Length |
4:08 |
Genre |
Country - Americana, Country - Alternative |
| Tempo |
Medium Slow (91 - 110) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
| Mood |
Composed, Diplomatic |
Subject |
Crime, Theft, Law Enforcement |
| Similar Artists |
Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Steve Earle |
Language |
English |
| Era |
1800 - 1899 |
| |
Lyrics
Gunslinger (The Story of Lawman Bass Reeves)
© 2025 Grant Maloy Smith
Born in chains, a slaver's son
I crossed the plains, went on the run
I fare-thee-welled, my suffering
I heard the bells that freedom rings
I learned the tongues of Indian men
I learned to hunt from all of them
I farmed and ranched, and built a life
Took Nellie Jenn to be my wife
They can run, but I won't let them
I will hunt, and I will get them
I'm a husband and a father
A lawman and a Marshal
A finder and a bringer
Gunslinger
Far too young, my Nellie died
Winnie come later in my life
Eleven kids filled up our home
And what they did filled up our souls
They can run, but I won't let them
I will hunt, and I will get them
I'm a husband and a father
A lawman and a Marshal
A finder and a bringer
Gunslinger
Some say that I -
I'm a ghost at night
A shadow moving in and out of sight
But I'm just flesh, a simple man
I am a wolf, and I'm a lamb
Some men fight, and some men run
Some men cry and point a gun
But they're coming back dead or alive
I'm on their track, and they can't hide
They can run, but I won't let them
I will hunt, and I will get them
I'm a husband and a father
A lawman and a Marshal
A finder and a bringer
Gunslinger
Gunslinger
The long arm of the law