Story Behind The Song

Ballad of an un-named outlaw who rode with the Jesse James gang and came to a sticky end

Lyrics

I gotta tale to tell; from a long time past
Tale of a young life lived hard and fast
When the west was wild the country young
And the law of the land was the law of the gun
I was flat out of money, flat out of luck
Missed every chance that I wished I'd took

All I knew besides steal and ridin' freight
Was draw my six-gun, shoot fast, shoot straight
An old saloon in a mining town
Heard the sound of footsteps had a quick look around
Two men staring at me I began to shake
One young and wild eyed, one mean as a snake

"We hear that you're good with that Colt 45
And yer hungry and busted and barely alive.
It's not many we ask you will understand
But if you're looking for quick money you can ride with our gang"
Then the young one staring said "I'm not much on names
But this here's Cole Younger and I'm called Jesse James"

Montana to Colorado across the Great Plains
Hit the towns and banks hit the mines and trains
As the year went by and the money rolled good
I never gave a thought to the spilling of the blood
And I'm first to say that I felt well in place
When I first saw the wanted poster showing my face

But it's the same old story, you've heard it all before
When you're making money it's much just wants more
Then the plan hatches in my young head
That before I got much older would see me laying dead
I'd killed many men, dodged bullets and flames
But I never should have double crossed young Jesse James

How cold that day I died
How cold that look in his eye
My last thought of what I'd done
My last sound the sound of his gun
So when you've heard my tale and should someone ask yer
Tell 'em I was quick with a gun but Jesse James was faster