[Intro – Fingerpicked acoustic guitar, warm steel guitar, slow country shuffle] [Verse 1] There was a man who rode into this town With a reputation ten feet off the ground They said he’d faced the devil and won There wasn’t a man who could beat his gun He never talked much, but he played for keeps Never lost a night’s worth of sleep And if you asked him how he’d lived so long He’d just grin and say, “You gotta be quick and strong” [Verse 2] His name was Jack McCall, and he was known From Cheyenne to San Antone Some men would leave when they heard he was near Some stood their ground, but you could see their fear I saw him face a man one afternoon The whole thing went down before I heard the sound That other fella never had a chance And Jack just holstered up and stood his ground [Chorus] He was the fastest gun in town No one had ever brought him down When trouble came, he’d stand his place And leave another man beneath the ground But time has a way of changing things And pride can clip a man’s own wings You can live your life without a doubt Till the day someone faster comes around [Verse 3] Then one hot day, a stranger rode on in A quiet man with a weather-beaten grin Called himself Caleb Shaw, that’s all he’d say And rented a room for a night or two to stay He didn’t brag about the men he’d known Didn’t wear a gun belt just for show But Jack took notice when they met that day I saw something in his face I’d never seen that way [Chorus] Jack was the fastest gun in town No one had ever brought him down When trouble came, he’d stand his place And leave another man beneath the ground But time has a way of changing things And pride can clip a man’s own wings You can live your life without a doubt Till the day someone faster comes around [Verse 4] By sundown, word had traveled down the street That Jack and Caleb had a date to meet The whole town gathered, but nobody spoke You could feel the tension hanging in the air Jack stood waiting, his hand beside his gun Caleb faced him, staring straight ahead I stood just ten feet back and watched them both And prayed that neither man would end up dead The sheriff called for both men to stand down Then turned around, and I heard a single report Jack’s gun was still resting at his side And Caleb Shaw was standing there alive [Final Verse – Strip back to acoustic guitar] I reached Jack’s side before he hit the ground And knelt beside the fastest gun in town He looked at me and whispered, “Now I know There’s always one more man who’s bound to be faster, ya know” He took one breath, then his eyes grew still And the street went quiet on that dusty hill Caleb rode away before the night was through And I never saw him again, though I wished I had [Outro – Soft steel guitar] Now when I tell the story, I remember Jack The man who never thought he’d meet his match He’d been the fastest gun in town, they say Till Caleb Shaw came riding through one day
