Big Iron Chords & Tabs

by Marty Robbins

[Version Description]
Strumming Patterns:
Pattern 1:
BPM: 232
Denominator: 8
Triplet: Yes
Measures: [3, 202, 202, 3, 202, 101, 1, 202, 103, 3, 202, 103]

[Intro]
Am
E  Am

[Verse 1]
       C                        Am                   
To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day
       C                                                  Am 
Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say
       F                                 C                   
No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip
                                          Am                 
for the stranger there amongst them had a big iron on his hip
F               C  
Big iron on his hip

[Verse 2]
       C                            Am                
It was early in the morning when he rode into the town
        C                                              Am   
He came ridin' from the south side slowly lookin' all around
        F                                 C                    
He's an outlaw loose and runnin' came the whisper from each lip
                                           Am                 
And he's here to do some business with the big iron on his hip
F               C  
Big iron on his hip

[Verse 3]
        C                                 Am               
In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red
     C                                                Am  
Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead
       F                             C                   
He was vicious and a killer though a youth of twenty four
                                       Am                   
And the notches on his pistol numbered one and nineteen more
F                C   
One and nineteen more

[Verse 4]
        C                                 Am                   
Now the stranger started talking, made it plain to folks around
       C                                       Am  
Was an Arizona ranger, wouldn't be too long in town
        F                            C                 
He came here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead
                                     Am             
And he said it didn't matter, he was after Texas Red
F           C  
After Texas Red

[Verse 5]
       C                           Am                
Wasn't long before the story was relayed to Texas Red
        C                                               Am  
But the outlaw didn't worry, men that tried before were dead
       F                                 C                  
Twenty men had tried to take him, twenty men had made a slip
                                        Am                 
Twenty one would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip
F               C  
Big iron on his hip

[Verse 6]
    C                                 Am                   
The morning passed so quickly, it was time for them to meet
       C                                              Am    
It was twenty past eleven when they walked out in the street
           F                                 C                     
Folks were watching from their windows, everybody held their breath
                                    Am                    
They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his death
 F                C    
About to meet his death

[Verse 7]
          C                                 Am                        
There was forty feet between them when they stopped to make their play
        C                                               Am 
And the swiftness of the ranger is still talked about today
      F                                   C                   
Texas Red had not cleared leather 'fore a bullet fairly ripped
                                         Am                 
And the ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip
F               C  C6
Big iron on his hip

[Verse 8]
       C                        Am                      
It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered round
        C                                           Am    
There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground
       F                                C                  
Oh, he might have gone on living but he made one fatal slip
                                           Am                 
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
F               C  
Big iron on his hip

[Outro]
    F         C   
Big iron, big iron
        C                                  Am                 
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
F               C    C6  
Big iron on his hi_i_i_ip