(Am)In the southern part of Texas, east and (G)west of El Paso 
 
Where the mighty Franklin Mountains guard the (Am)trail to Mexico. 
 
There?s a new made widow cryin? and a (G)hurse a-rollin? slow, 
 
And I (Em)guess that Devil?s passed this way a(Am)gain. 
 
 
(Am)There?s a lathered sorrel stallion runnin? (G)through the Joshua Trees, 
 
A young man in the saddle with his (Am)coat tails in the breeze. 
 
Got a six gun on his right hip and a (G)rifle at his knee, 
 
And he?s (Em)dealin? in a game that he can?t (Am)win. 
 
 
CHORUS 
 
(Am)Poor Billy Bonney, you?re (G)only twenty-one, 
 
Pat Garrett?s got your name on every (Am)bullet in his gun. 
 
Each notch you carved on your six-gun?s got a (G)bloody tale to tell 
 
Well, you?re a mile ahead of Garrett and a (Em)step outside of (Am)hell. 
 
 
(Am)Them fancy clothes you?re wearin? and the (G)women in your bed, 
 
Can?t take away the faces of the (Am)men that you left dead. 
 
As you ride across the badlands with a (G)price upon your head, 
 
(Em)Now that wheel or fortune starts to (Am)turn. 
 
 
(Am)Your reputation?s grown till it?s the (G)biggest in the land, 
 
And there ain?t a lot of people left who (Am)wanna call your hand. 
 
And I guess you?ll go down shootin? just (G)like all brand of men, 
 
And when you (Em)shake hands with the Devil you get (Am)burned. 
 
CHORUS x 2