Take my advice
and then do what you want to
But I've seen my share of it all
I spent time in prison
where they kept me chained to the wall
I've trembled in fear
at the mere thought of dying for
something that I'd never done
And I learned very young
when you live by
You'll spend your whole life on the run
Take my advice
and then do what you want to
But I've done it all in my time
I've lost everything that I loved
To the whiskey and wine
I longed for the day
When I could be sober enough
to look back at the fun
And I learned very young,
when you live by the gun
You'll spend your whole life on the run
Well you'll search high and low
But you'll just go from lover
to lover
And most of your life
you'll spend in one jail or another
Take my advice
and then do what you want to
But there's nothing I have not done
I rode with the best
that there was in the West at the time
These old wanted posters
will show you that I am not lyin'
When it comes to a showdown,
you'll always win
if you just keep your back to the sun
And you learn very young,
when you live by the gun
You'll spend your whole life on the run
Take my advice,
and then do what you want to, but...