The sun was making the crimson plunge
Behind the hills and into hell
As someone dealt a deck of cards
And someone rang the old church bell
Framed by evening's dying fire
A rider cut a silhouette
Jack Christie whipped his crying horse
Like the Black Angel of Death
And oh, the dying sun
Sweating dust and shards of light!
Upon the dirty streets
Fell into the arms of night
Clay Calder poured himself a drink
And through the darkening window saw
His fate was waiting in the street
Like last time and the time before
"Well boys" he said, "Just deal me in
I'll be there when this thing is done"
He put on his hat with the rattlesnake band
A pair of silver plated guns
And oh, the dying sun
Sweating dust and shards of light!
Upon the dirty streets
Fell into the arms of night
Time stood still, and Clay he thought
The white trees in the western night
Waited there like ghosts to be
Baptized in a river of light
He thought about a grave and then
He thought about a gambling debt
Death was something to keep in mind
Life was something to forget
And oh, the dying sun
Sweating dust and shards of light!
Upon the dirty streets
Fell into the arms of night
Jack Christie drew, and with one shot
He split the night like firewood
Clay was bleeding on the ground
Saying "Boys, he got me good
Jack rode into the burning dark
And Lily Miller wept for Clay
Whose last thought was the white trees looked
Like poor souls freed on Judgment Day
And oh, the dying sun
Sweating dust and shards of light!
Upon the dirty streets
Fell into the arms of night
Oh, the dying sun
Sweating dust and shards of light!
Upon the dirty streets
Fell into the arms of night
