| I have the reputation that’s known throughout the land
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| They say I’m faster on the draw than any livin' man
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| They call me a bad man they say I kill for fun
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| They say the only thing I know is how to use a gun
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| But they don’t know the reason they branded me as bad
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| It started many years ago when I was just a lad
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| I rode into a cattle town a boy of twenty three
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| So young and yet that very day I carved my destiny
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| I walked into the town saloon that sad and fateful day
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| Then I began to gamble to pass the time away
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| I thought I’d play a hand or two and hit the trail again
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| But Lady Luck was with me and I began to win
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| The dealer kept on dealin' the stakes were gettin' high
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| And pretty soon there was no one left but an old cowboy and I
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| The minutes seemed like hours you couldn’t hear a sound
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| We’d bet and raised until we’d laid all our money down
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| The cowboy smiled and showed his hand
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| Three aces he did hold
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| But I laid down a royal flush and reached to claim my gold
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| The cowboy stood and faced me his hands hung at his hips
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| A look of hate was in his eyes, the smile had left his lips
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| He said young man slap leather I’m known for miles around
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| To keep my reputation up I’ve got to gun you down
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| With lightnin' speed we drew and fired
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| One life to me the cost
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| The cowboy tumbled to the floor his reputation lost
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| Now many years have come and gone
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| And many men have died
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| Each tried his luck and hoped he’d be the fastest gun alive
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| And in my many fights to live I wondered if I’d won
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| I’m known to all as bad man they say I kill for fun
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| Someday I’ll meet a cowboy who’s speed will meet the test
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| And that will end the saga of the bad man of the west… |