The Ballad of Boot Hill
Johnny Cash
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Here lies less more Four slugs from a forty-four No less no more Out in Arizona just south of Tucson Where tumbleweeds tumble in search of a home There's a town they call Tombstone where the brave never cry They live by a sixgun by a sixgun they die It's been a long time now since the town was a boom The jailhouse is empty so's the Palace Saloon Just one look will tell you that this town was real A secluded old dirt road leads up to Boot Hill Walk up to the fence there and look at the view That's where they were hanging eighteen eighty two It's easy to see where the brave men have died Rope marks on the oak tree are now petrified At night when the moon shines so far away It gets mighty lonesome lookin' down on their graves There lies Billy Clanton never wanted to kill But he's there with the guilty way up on Boot Hill (Boot Hill)
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Written by: CARL PERKINS
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Genre"The Ballad of Boot Hill" falls within the Country and Western music genre, synonymous with Johnny Cash's signature style.
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AlbumThis song features in Johnny Cash's 16th album titled "Sings the Ballads of the True West" which is a concept album focusing on the history of the American West.
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Release Year"The Ballad of Boot Hill" was released in the year 1965.
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Composition"The Ballad of Boot Hill" was written by Carl Perkins, a fellow member of the supergroup known as the "The Million Dollar Quartet", consisting of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Perkins himself.
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ThemeThe song tells the story of the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral which took place in 1881, focusing on the story of Billy Clanton who was killed in the gunfight.
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DurationThe song is relatively short, running a total length of just two minutes and fifteen seconds.
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TributeKnott's Berry Farm, an amusement park in California, bases its "Calico Mine Ride" around the song.
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Gunfight at the O.K. CorralThe incident on which the song is based occurred in Tombstone, Arizona. Participants included the legendary Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.
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Marquee LineThe song opens with the marquee line "Well my name it is not important", conveying the narrator as a nameless entity representing the many fallen, anonymous figures in the history of the Wild West.
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Performance StyleTrue to Cash’s style, the song is direct and straightforward, featuring a simple guitar melody, light percussion, and Johnny’s deeply resonate voice dominating the track.
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Critical ReceptionThough not one of Cash's best known songs, "The Ballad of Boot Hill" is frequently cited as one of the highlights from "Sings the Ballads of the True West" for its storytelling qualities.
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Song LegacyThe song is often used in media pieces discussing or showcasing the Wild West, due to its historical context and storytelling narrative.
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Citation
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"The Ballad of Boot Hill Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric-lf/948226/Johnny+Cash/The+Ballad+of+Boot+Hill>.
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