About The Song
“Don’t Take Your Guns to Town” is a song written and recorded by American singer Johnny Cash. It was released in December 1958 as the first single from the album The Fabulous Johnny Cash.
The song tells the story of Billy Joe, a young cowboy yearning for freedom and independence. One day, armed with his guns, Billy Joe decides to take a trip to find himself, despite his mother’s constant pleas not to take his guns with him. He arrives in a cattle town and visits a local saloon. He samples some strong liquor to try to prove to himself that he has become the man he always wanted to be.
A bully cowboy is seated at the bar next to Billy Joe, and begins to laugh and make fun of him. Angered by the cowboy’s taunting, Billy Joe reaches for one of his guns to draw on the bully. However, with his marksmanship experience, the bully cowboy shoots Billy Joe before he could even take aim. All the other patrons gather around Billy Joe as he collapses to his death from the gunshot wound.
The single was his fifth release to reach #1 on the country chart, where it stayed for six weeks. The song was also a crossover hit peaking at #32 on the pop chart.
Video
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 at last he had become a man
A dusty cowpoke at his side began to laugh him down
And he heard again his mother’s 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”