Father, I have come
To tell you about somethin' I done
Well as the night reared it's light head
Into a baby's sun
We rolled down into the town
From where the black throats come

And you know there was a robb'ry
There was a holdup
Ooh, there was a shootout
And there was a killin'
And there's blood on my hands
Today I killed a man

Well now, sister, you know me well
And you ask me well, how it was I felt
Well, she had an appetite for lovin'
Only a fadin' beauty could posses
She knew just what she wanted
And she wouldn't take less

I figured it was a small town
It was at sundown
It was just a small crowd of people around
Oh! but he wouldn't put his guns down
No, he wouldn't put his guns down
Oh, he wouldn't put his guns down
Now his blood's on my hands
Today I killed a man
And, papa, you showed me the beauty of buckshot
Well, that song a bullet sings as she whistles
And showed me the story of the self-loading pistol

Well now, father. I have come
To tell you about somethin' I done
He had a widow, runnin' through town screamin'
He had a brother, and his tears were streamin'
Now I'm movin' on to Boulder
With a rifle on my shoulder

'cuz, daddy, you showed me the beauty of buckshot
The love song a bullet sings as she whistles
And showed me the glory of the self-loading pistol

And I just come to tell ya
That it don't hurt no more
No, it don't hurt no more
'cuz your son, he's an outlaw
Oh, your son, he's an outlaw
Yes, your son, he's an outlaw
Oh, your son, he's an outlaw
Now, your son, he's an outlaw
Oh, your son, he's an outlaw
And this blood feels good on my hands
Today I killed a man