Don't Take Your Guns To Town (Takes 5-6) Lyrics
Johnny Cash
Lyrics
A young cowboy named Billy Joe grew restless on the farm
A boy filled with wanderlust who really meant no harm
He changed his clothes and shined his boots and combed his dark hair down
And his mother cried as he walked out
Don't take your guns to town son
Leave your guns at home Bill
Don't take your guns to town
He laughed and kissed his mom and said, "your Billy Joe's a man"
I can shoot as quick and straight as anybody can
But I wouldn't shoot without a cause; I'd gun nobody down"
But she cried again as he rode away
Don't take your guns to town son
Leave your guns at home Bill
Don't take your guns to town
He sang a song as on he rode his guns hung at his hips
He rode into a cattle town, a smile upon his lips
He stopped and walked into a bar and laid his money down
But his mother's words echoed again
Don't take your guns to town son
Leave your guns at home Bill
Don't take your guns to town
He drank his first strong liquor then to calm his shaking hand
And tried to tell himself he had become a man
A dusty cowpoke at his side began to laugh him down
And he heard again his mothers words
Don't take your guns to town son
Leave your guns at home Bill
Don't take your guns to town
Filled with rage then Billy Joe reached for his gun to draw
But the stranger drew his gun and fired before he even saw
As Billy Joe fell to the floor, the crowd all gathered 'round
And wondered at his final words
Don't take your guns to town son
Leave your guns at home Bill
Don't take your guns to town
Song & Lyrics Facts
Johnny Cash's Don't Take Your Guns to Town was released in 1958 on his album The Fabulous Johnny Cash. Written by Cash himself, the song tells a story of a young man who ignores advice from his mother and takes his guns into town only to be shot and killed.
It has become one of Cash's most iconic songs and is still performed today by many artists. Musically, it features Cash's signature baritone vocals backed by his band, the Tennessee Two. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the tragedy that results when a young man fails to heed his mother's warnings. With its timeless message, Don't Take Your Guns to Town remains an important part of Johnny Cash's legacy.