Greybeard lyrics

He was nine years old when his folks left home

On a wagon headin' west

And his mom and dad knew he'd grow up bad

By the mark of the devil on his chest

Seventeen he turned up mean

He had already made his bid

He had a name in the fast gun game

And they called him the "Devil Kid"

Now the kid's name grew and his gun did too

When an old ghost town appeared

Sittin' there in the marshall's chair

Was the one they called "Grey Beard"

"Kid, you better quit while the quittin's good

Cus there's always one that's bigger

There'll be one guy with a faster eye

Who's lightning on the trigger

Let me tell you, son, about a real fast gun

That every outlaw feared

He made his name in this killin' game

He's the one they call "Grey Beard"

He had a drawin' hand like no other man

It was faster than the eye

And there were always plenty of kids about twenty

Just couldn't wait to die

He was a fast gun

Lookin' to make a name

Quikin' was his virtue

Killin' was the game

So the kid said, "Tell me

Where is this man who never feared a gun?"

Grey Beard raised his head and said

"Your looking at him, son."

So the kid tried staring Grey Beard down

With eyes like ace up dice

And Grey Beard's frown turned upside down

To a smile as cold as ice

So the Devil Kid reached for his gun

With a draw as fast as light

But he lost the game from a shot that came

From somewhere out of sight

And as the kid went down and he hit the ground

Thought he had lost his mind

He heard Grey Beard snicker

"I was even quicker before I went stone blind"

Fast gun

Lookin' to make a name

Quikin' was his virtue

He was killed at his game

• Artist:Kenny Rogers
• Album:Share Your Love (1981)