Released: November 9, 1973
Songwriter: Billy Joel
Producer: Mike G. Stewart
[Verse 1]
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
[Verse 2]
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
[Chorus]
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 cowboys and the ranchers
Knew his name
[Verse 3]
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 loved to tell
'Bout when Billy the Kid came to town
[Musical interlude]
2:42 - 3:39
[Verse 4]
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
[Chorus]
And 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 boot hill grave
That bears his name
[Outro]
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
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
[Verse 2]
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
[Chorus]
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 cowboys and the ranchers
Knew his name
[Verse 3]
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 loved to tell
'Bout when Billy the Kid came to town
[Musical interlude]
2:42 - 3:39
[Verse 4]
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
[Chorus]
And 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 boot hill grave
That bears his name
[Outro]
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
more tracks from the album
From the albums
- Piano Man (1973)
- Songs in the Attic (1981)
Billy Joel popular songs
- We Didn’t Start the Fire
- Piano Man
- Vienna
- Uptown Girl
- The Longest Time
- She’s Always a Woman
- Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
- Just the Way You Are
- Only the Good Die Young
- Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
- New York State of Mind
- Allentown
- Honesty
- The Stranger
- Goodnight Saigon
- My Life
- It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me
- Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
- And So it Goes
- Big Shot
- Captain Jack
- An Innocent Man
- Zanzibar
- The Downeaster “Alexa”