The Killers

Released: November 30, 2011

Songwriter: William Lawrence Chittenden Michael Martin Murphey

[Verse 1]
Way out in Old Nevada, where the Truckee's waters flow
Where the cattle are "a-browsing" and the Spanish ponies grow;
Where the Northers "come a-whistling" from beyond the Neutral Strip;
And the prairie dogs are sneezing, as if they had "The Grip";
Where the coyotes come a-howling around the ranches after dark
And the bluebirds are a-singing to the lovely "meadow lark";
Where the bighorns are a-grazing and the lonely plovers call —
It was there that I attended "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball"
(whoo!)

[Verse 2]
The boys had left the ranches and come to town in piles;
The ladies — "kind of scattering" — had gathered in for miles
The room was togged out gorgeous - with mistletoe and shawls
And candles flickered frescoes, around the airy walls
The women folk looked lovely - the boys looked kinda treed
Till the leader got to yelling: "Hey, fellers, let's stampede!"
And the music started sighing, and availing through the hall
As a kind of introduction to "The Cowboys Christmas Ball"

[Verse 3]
Their leader was a feller that came from Swenson's ranch
They called him "Windy Billy," from "little Dead man's Branch"
His rig was "kinda careless," big spurs and high-heeled boots;
He had the reputation that come when "a fellers shoots"
His voice was like a bugle upon a mountainous height;
His feet were animated an' a mighty, moving sight
When he commenced to hollering, "Now, fellers stake your pen!"
"Lock horns with all them heifers, and Russel them like men
"Salute yer lovely critters; now swing and let them go
"Climb the grape vine around them — all hands do-ce-do!
"You Mavericks, join the round-up - Just skip her waterfall"
Huh! It was getting happy, The Cowboys Christmas Ball

[Verse 4]
Don't tell me about cotillions, or Germans, no sirree!
That whirl at Carson City just takes the cake with me
I'm sick of lazy shuffling's, of them I've had my fill
Just Give me a frontier break-down, backed up by Wild Old Bill

Mc Allister isn't nowhere, when Windy leads the show
I've seen them both in harness, and so I sorta know
Oh, Bill, I shall not forget you, and I'll oftentimes recall
That lively gaited soiree — "The Cowboys Christmas Ball"

[Outro]
Oh, Bill, I shall not forget you, and I'll oftentimes recall
That lively gaited soiree — "The Cowboys Christmas Ball"

Founded by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning in Las Vegas, 2001, The Killers have become arguably the most successful rock band from Nevada. After their hit 2004 debut album Hot Fuss, with singles such as “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside,” the band established themselves as one of the biggest acts of the post-punk revival, with a sound that fused the energetic indie rock of the 2000s with the New Wave sounds of the ‘80s. Subsequent hits such as “When You Were Young” and “Human”, in addition to a number of Christmas singles, helped them to sustain their popularity through to the end of the decade.

After Hot Fuss, the group released three more studio albums and a Greatest Hits collection before a long hiatus, from which they returned in 2017 with Wonderful Wonderful. Their most recent studio album, Imploding The Mirage, came out in 2020.

more tracks from the album

Guitar Hero Live GHTV Soundtrack

From the albums

The Killers popular songs

The Cowboys’ Christmas BallThe Killers

The Killers

Guitar Hero Live GHTV Soundtrack