Grateful Dead - Me and My Uncle - (Probably written by John Phillips) The GD played this more frequently than any other song…
Me and my uncle went riding down
South Colorado, West Texas bound
We stopped over in Santa Fe
That being the point just about half way
And you know it was the hottest part of the day
I took the horses up to the stall
Went to the bar-room, ordered drinks for all
Three days in the saddle, you know my body hurt
It being summer, I took off my shirt
And I tried to wash off some of that dusty dirt
West Texas cowboys, they’s all around
With liquor and money, they’re loaded down
So soon after pay day, you know it seemed a shame
You know my uncle, he starts a friendly game
Hi-lo jacks and the winner take the hand
My uncle starts winning, cowboys got sore
One of them called him, and then two more
Accused him of cheating, well no it couldn’t be
I know my uncle, he’s as honest as me
And I’m as honest as a Denver man can be
One of them cowboys, he starts to draw
Well I shot him down, Lord, he never saw
Shot me another, hot damn he won’t grow old
In the confusion my uncle grabbed the gold
And we high-tailed it down to Mexico
Now I love those cowboys, I love their gold
I love my uncle, God rest his soul
Taught me good, Lord, taught me all I know
Taught me so well, I grabbed that gold
And I left his dead ass there by the side of the road
Grateful Dead - El Paso - (A Marty Robbins tune)
Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican girl
Night time would find me in Rosa’s cantina
Music would play and Felina would whirl
Black as the night were the eyes of Felina
Wicked and evil while casting a spell
My love is strong for this Mexican maiden
I was in love, but in vain I could tell
One night a wild young cowboy came in
Wild as the West Texas wind
Dashing and daring, and drink he was sharing
Wicked Felina the girl that I love
So in anger
I challenged his right for the love of this maiden
He dived with his hand for the gun that he wore
My challenge was answered in less than a heartbeat
The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor
Just for a moment I stood there in silence
Shocked by the foul evil deed I had done
Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there
I had but one chance, and that was to run
Out through the back door of Rosa’s I ran
Out where the horses were tied
I picked a good one, he looked like he could run
Jumped on his back and away I did ride
Just as fast as I could
From the West Texas town of El Paso
Up through the badlands of New Mexico
Back in El Paso my life would be worthless
Everything’s gone, in life nothing is left
It’s been so long since I’ve seen the young maiden
My love is stronger than my fear of death
I saddled up and away I did go
Riding alone in the dark
Maybe tomorrow a bullet may find me
Tonight nothing’s worse than this pain in my heart
And at last here I am on the hill overlooking El Paso
I can see Rosa’s cantina below
My love is strong and it pushes me onwards
Down off the hill to Felina I go
Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys
Off to my left ride a dozen or more
Shoutin’ and shootin’, I can’t let them catch me
I’ve got to make it to Rosa’s back door
Something is dreadfully wrong for I feel
A deep burning pain in my side
It’s getting harder to stay in the saddle
I’m getting weary, unable to ride
But my love for Felina is strong and I rise where I’ve fallen
And though I am weary I can’t stop to rest
I see the white puff of smoke from their rifles
I feel the bullet go deep in my chest
From out of nowhere, Felina has found me
Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side
Cradled by two lovin’ arms that I’ll die for
One little kiss and Felina goodbye
Marty Robbins - Big Iron
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
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 looking all around
He’s an outlaw loose and running, came a whisper from each lip
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 talking, made it plain to folks around
He was an Arizonia Ranger, wouldn’t be too long in town
He was here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead
And he said it didn’t matter that 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 and it was time for them to meet
It was twenty past eleven when they walked out in the street
Folks were watching from their windows, everybody held their breath
They knew this handsome Ranger was about to meet his death
About to meet his death
There was twenty 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 when 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 crowd all 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
Oh when he tried to match the Ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
!
I guess wading through Tigerman’s 350 pages of Grateful Dead lyrics finally got to me…