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Red Headed Stranger Lyrics
He rode into Blue Rock, dusty and tired
And he got him a room for the night
And he lay there in silence, too much on his mind
Still hopin' that he was not right
But he found them that evening, at a tavern in town
A quiet little out-of-the-way place
And they smiled at each other, when he walked through the door
And they died with their smiles on their faces
And they died with a smile on their face
Chorus:
So don't cross him, and don't boss him
'Cause he's wild in his sorrow
And he's right and he's hidin' his pain
Don't fight him, and don't spite him
Just wait 'til tomorrow
Maybe he'll ride on again
Now the red-headed stranger, from Blue Rock, Montana
Rode into town one day
And under his knees was a raging black stallion
And walkin' behind was a bay
And the red-headed stranger had eyes like the thunder
And lips that were sad and tight
And his little lost love lay asleep on the hillside
And his heart was heavy as night
(Repeat chorus)
Now the yellow-haired lady leaned out of her window
And watched as he passed her way
And she drew back in fear at the sight of the stallion
But cast greedy eyes on the bay
But how could she know that the dancin' bay pony
Meant more to him than life
For this was the horse that his little lost darlin'
Had ridden when she was his wife
(Repeat chorus)
Now the yellow-haired lady went down to the tavern
And looked up the stranger there
And he bought her a drink, and he gave her some money
But he just didn't seem to care
And she followed him out as he saddled his stallion
And laughed when she grabbed at the bay
And he shot her so quick, they had no time to warn her
And she never heard anyone say:
(Repeat chorus)
The yellow-haired lady was buried at sunset
The stranger went free, of course
For you can't hang a man for killin' a woman
Who's tryin' to steal your horse
Now this is the tale of the red-headed stranger
And if he should pass your way
Stay out of the path of the raging black stallion
And don't lay a hand on the bay
(Repeat chorus)
And he got him a room for the night
And he lay there in silence, too much on his mind
Still hopin' that he was not right
A quiet little out-of-the-way place
And they smiled at each other, when he walked through the door
And they died with their smiles on their faces
And they died with a smile on their face
So don't cross him, and don't boss him
'Cause he's wild in his sorrow
And he's right and he's hidin' his pain
Don't fight him, and don't spite him
Just wait 'til tomorrow
Maybe he'll ride on again
Rode into town one day
And under his knees was a raging black stallion
And walkin' behind was a bay
And the red-headed stranger had eyes like the thunder
And lips that were sad and tight
And his little lost love lay asleep on the hillside
And his heart was heavy as night
And watched as he passed her way
And she drew back in fear at the sight of the stallion
But cast greedy eyes on the bay
But how could she know that the dancin' bay pony
Meant more to him than life
For this was the horse that his little lost darlin'
Had ridden when she was his wife
And looked up the stranger there
And he bought her a drink, and he gave her some money
But he just didn't seem to care
And she followed him out as he saddled his stallion
And laughed when she grabbed at the bay
And he shot her so quick, they had no time to warn her
And she never heard anyone say:
The stranger went free, of course
For you can't hang a man for killin' a woman
Who's tryin' to steal your horse
Now this is the tale of the red-headed stranger
And if he should pass your way
Stay out of the path of the raging black stallion
And don't lay a hand on the bay
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I long for that simpler time... when a man with a gun and a horse could lay to waste his faint hearted sweetheart and her lover in a tavern, then ride to another town and kill a yellow haired whore, and folks would wait till tomorrow when maybe he'll ride on again. Ahhh The good ol' days.
I do believe it's about a man who was basically cheating. The man hid that the horse was important to him because he hid that he loved someone else from the blonde woman. Then, he kills the blonde for "trying to steal the horse" I do believe he gets caught cheating by the woman he is with and apparently loves, and so he kills the blonde, despite him admitting that the blonde had NO idea about his love or who the horse she was trying to "steal" actually belonged to. So in fact she wasn't stealing at all, but he dismisses his own guilt by stating that a man can't be hung for killing her because after all she tried to steal something that already belonged to someone else, ie the horse. That's rather ridiculous seeing as the blonde was lied to by the murderer about the horse to start, but I do believe that's what the lyrics represent, his excuse of sorts as pathetic as that is...
This man has gone to town to find his wife with the man she ran off with. The yellow lady whom works @ the tavern came down to work this man for all she could . He didn't care he is on a mission . She went to far trying to take his wife's horse . But everyone else will die with their smiles on their faces. Yes die with their smiles on their face.