[Verse 1: Spaghetti-western gunslinger male MC, low and slow over heavy half-time drums and dark tremolo guitar] Dry Creek, partner, where the dust don't ever land Hoyt's the fastest iron with the steadiest hand Calls a man out Saturday, and noon is when he's due And by one o'clock that man is either gone or he's through Seven men he called, and seven men are in the yard Yonder by the church, and every stone of 'em is hard Then he pins it on the post office, the note is plain and brief Cole, the square, at noon, so tell the preacher and the chief So I walk on out at noon with my hat down low Iron on my hip, and my hands hangin' slow Twenty paces off, and he's grinnin' like a saw Says go on, partner, reach, and I don't reach at all [Verse 2: Gunslinger MC, straight on from verse 1, colder, the tremolo guitar shaking under every bar] 'Cause the code in Dry Creek says it plain, and it says it old You don't shoot a man who never reached, or your name goes cold So he stands there with his fingers twitchin' over his own steel And I stand there like a fence post in a field Sun goes down a little, and the bell tower rings one And he walks off, and I walk off, and nothin' gets done Next Saturday the same, and the Saturday past that Now the whole town's bringin' chairs and a parasol and a hat Seven Saturdays I stood there like a stone in a stream And every week his hand got shakier, partner, like a dream [Hook: Gunslinger MC, heavy, cracking snare and mouth harp on the last line] Noon on the square, and the whole town saw Hoyt's the fastest hand alive, and I'm the slow draw Never touched the iron, partner, never had to try Every Saturday at noon, he loses to a tie [Verse 3: Gunslinger MC, breath count, he counts Hoyt's breaths out loud, the kick landing on every number] Eighth Saturday at noon, and I say it soft and clear I can hear you breathin', Hoyt, from all the way over here One, and he's swallowin', two, and he's wipin' at his lip Three, and there's a tremble runnin' down him to the grip Four, and all the chairs go quiet, five, his fingers jump Six, and he's lookin' at the yard by the water pump Seven, and his hand is shakin' like a leaf in a gale Eight, and the iron's in the dust, and he's turnin' pale Walked to his horse, and he never looked behind Rode out yonder to the north, and he left the town his time Fastest hand alive, and he never lost a call Till a man who wouldn't reach gave him nothin' at all [Final Hook: Gunslinger MC, everything, drums and tremolo guitar wide] Noon on the square, and the whole town saw Hoyt's the fastest hand alive, and I'm the slow draw Never touched the iron, partner, never had to try Every Saturday at noon, he loses to a tie [End]
