Marty Robbins - Mister Shorty lyrics
rate meNobody knew where he came from<br />
They only knew he came in<br />
Slowly he walked to the end of the bar<br />
And he ordered up one slug of gin<br />
<br />
Well I could see that he wasn't a large man<br />
I could tell that he wasn't too tall<br />
I judged him to be 'bout 5 foot 3<br />
And his voice was a soft Texas drawl<br />
<br />
Said he was needin' some wages<br />
'Fore he could ride for the West<br />
Said he could do most all kind of work<br />
Said he could ride with the best<br />
<br />
There in his blue eyes was sadness<br />
That comes from the need of a friend<br />
And though he tried he still couldn't hide<br />
The loneliness there deep within<br />
<br />
Said he would work through the Winter<br />
For 30 a month and his board<br />
I started to say where he might land a job<br />
When a fella came in through the door<br />
<br />
And I could tell he was lookin' for trouble<br />
By the way that he came stompin' in<br />
He told me to leave Shorty there by himself<br />
Come down and wait on a man<br />
<br />
The eyes of the little man narrowed<br />
The smile disappeared from his face<br />
Gone was the friendliness that I had seen<br />
And a wild look of hate took it's place<br />
<br />
But the big one continued to mock him<br />
And he told me that I'd better go<br />
Find him a couple of glasses of milk<br />
Then maybe Shorty would grow<br />
<br />
When the little man spoke there was stillness<br />
He made sure that everyone heard<br />
Slowly he stepped away from the bar<br />
And I still remember these words<br />
<br />
"Oh it's plain that you're lookin' for trouble.<br />
Trouble's what I try to shun.<br />
If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get, <br />
'Cause Cowboy, we're both packin' guns."<br />
<br />
His hand was already positioned<br />
His feet wide apart on the floor<br />
I hadn't noticed but there on his hip<br />
Was a short-barreled bad.44<br />
<br />
It was plain he was ready and waitin'<br />
He leaned a bit forward and said<br />
"When you call me Shorty, say 'Mister', my friend.<br />
Maybe you'd rather be dead."<br />
<br />
In the room was a terrible silence<br />
As the big one stepped out on the floor<br />
All drinkin' stopped and the tick of the clock<br />
Said death would wait ten seconds more<br />
<br />
He cursed once or twice in a whisper<br />
And he said with a snarl on his lips<br />
"Nobody's 'Mister' to me, little man."<br />
And he grabbed for the gun on his hip<br />
<br />
But the little man's hand was like lightenin'<br />
The bad.44 was the same<br />
The.44 spoke and he sent lead and smoke<br />
17 inches of flame<br />
<br />
For the big one had never cleared leather<br />
Beaten before he could start<br />
A little round hole had appeared on his shirt<br />
The bullet went clear through his heart<br />
<br />
The little man stood there a moment<br />
Then holstered the bad.44<br />
"It's always this way, so I never stay."<br />
Slowly he walked out the door<br />
<br />
Nobody knew where he came from<br />
They won't forget he came by<br />
They won't forget how a.44 gun<br />
One night made the difference in size<br />
<br />
As for me I'll remember the sadness<br />
Shown in the eyes of the man<br />
If we meet someday, you can bet I will say that<br />
"It's me, Mister Shorty, your friend."
