In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
From a town known as Wheeling, West Virginia
Rode a boy with a six gun in his hand
And his daring life of crime
made him a legend in his time
east and west of the Rio Grande.
Well he started with a bank in Colorado
in the pocket of his vest, a Colt he hid
and his age and his size
took the teller by surprise
and, the word spread of Billy the kid
Well he never travelled heavy
yes he always rode alone
and he soon put many older guns to shame
and he never had a sweetheart
and he never had a home
but the cowboy and the rancher knew his name
Well he robbed his way from Utah to Oklahoma
and the largest could not seem to track him down
and it served his legend well
For the folks they loved to tell about
When Billy the kid came to town
Well one cold day a posse captured Billy
and the judge said "String him up for what he did"
And the cowboys and their kin
like the sea, came pouring in
to watch the hanging of Billy the kid.
Well he never travelled heavy
yes he always rode alone
and he soon put many older guns to shame
and he never had a sweetheart
but he finally found a home
under the boothill grave that bears his name.
From a town known as Oyster Bay Long Island
Rode a boy with a six pack in his hand
and his daring life of crime
made him a legend in his time
east and west of the Rio Grande
Rode a boy with a six gun in his hand
And his daring life of crime
made him a legend in his time
east and west of the Rio Grande.
Well he started with a bank in Colorado
in the pocket of his vest, a Colt he hid
and his age and his size
took the teller by surprise
and, the word spread of Billy the kid
Well he never travelled heavy
yes he always rode alone
and he soon put many older guns to shame
and he never had a sweetheart
and he never had a home
but the cowboy and the rancher knew his name
Well he robbed his way from Utah to Oklahoma
and the largest could not seem to track him down
and it served his legend well
For the folks they loved to tell about
When Billy the kid came to town
Well one cold day a posse captured Billy
and the judge said "String him up for what he did"
And the cowboys and their kin
like the sea, came pouring in
to watch the hanging of Billy the kid.
Well he never travelled heavy
yes he always rode alone
and he soon put many older guns to shame
and he never had a sweetheart
but he finally found a home
under the boothill grave that bears his name.
From a town known as Oyster Bay Long Island
Rode a boy with a six pack in his hand
and his daring life of crime
made him a legend in his time
east and west of the Rio Grande
Lyrics submitted by fletch699, edited by DanVitaleRocks
Ballad Of Billy The Kid Lyrics as written by Billy Joel
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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for the record, its Oyster Bay, Long Island
and the boy with the six pack is Billy Joel
six pack of beer maybe ;-)
and FYI, historical content is completely incorrect, but we'll forgive Billy because the song is AWESOME!
During a recent concert, Billy Joel mentioned his moving to the West Coast, and this was his attempt of articulating the whole concept of the "Wild Wild West," and he also did mention that he is aware that it is completely incorrect :)
Actually, the "boy with the six-pack in his hand" is actually another Bill that Joel knew growing up. If I remember right he was a bartender.
This is correct. He states it in the liner notes on Songs In The Attic.
One cold day a posse captured Billy And the judge said string him up for what he did And the cowboys and their kin Like the sea came pouring in to watch The hangin' of Billy the Kid
One of the best story tellers I've even had the pleasure to listen to.
UGH. The song is Ballad of Billy the Kid.
From a town known as Wheeling, West Virginia Rode a boy with a six-gun in his hand And his daring life of crime Made him a legend in his time East and west of the Rio Grande
Well, he started with a bank in Colorado In the pocket of his vest, a Colt he hid And his age and his size Took the teller by surprise And the word spread of Billy the Kid
Well, he never traveled heavy Yes, he always rode alone And he soon put many older guns to shame And he never had a sweetheart And he never had a home But the cowboy and the rancher knew his name
Well, he robbed his way from Utah to Oklahoma And the law just could not seem to track him down And it served his legend well For the folks, they'd love to tell 'Bout when Billy the Kid came to town
(PIANO INTERLUDE)
Well, one cold day a posse captured Billy And the judge said, "String 'im up for what he did!" And the cowboys and their kin Like the sea came pourin' in To watch the hangin' of Billy the Kid
Well, he never traveled heavy Yes, he always rode alone And he soon put many older guns to shame And he never had a sweetheart But he finally found a home Underneath the boothill grave that bears his name
From a town known as Oyster Bay, Long Island Rode a boy with a six-pack in his hand And his daring life of crime Made him a legend in his time East and west of the Rio Grande
I love Joel. He's made a killing on his music (and rightfully so), but these lyrics are already all over the Internet. (Sorry Billy:). If you get a chance to listen to this song, do. It's as though you're listening to historical poetry. Just a great song!
I love this song. The way Joel blends the Western genre with his own story is amazing. It's the simplicity of changing the last stanza by simply changing place and replacing Billy's gun by a six-pack of beer and yet still keeping the bold and boastful tone of a young nobody fancying fame and adventure's ahead that makes it special to me.
At a first glance, this is just an amazing western song by the most AWESOME musician ever. But at the end where it says: "From a town known Oyster Bay Long Island Rode a boy with a six pack in his hand And a daring life of crime Made him a legend in his time East and west of the Rio Grande" It makes me think that there is at least some biographical meaning to it. Last I checked, a "six pack" referred to someones abs or six cans of beer which probably weren't very popular back in the 1800's. Plus Billy the Kid being a wild west icon, probably never was even close to Long Island.
In this song Billy Joel poetically shows A change in the times By putting subtlety unsubtle changes Between the first and last verses. The first verse takes place In the 1800s with Billy the kid During which time a daring life of crime meant carrying around a 6 gun and robbing banks. Meanwhile in the last verse taking place During the late 20th-early 21st century he reffers to carrying around a "6 pack" (reffering to beer) As a daring life of crime trying to show a distinction between the times.