In the days of William Bonney, better known as Bill the Kid   A young cowboy named Joey Steel was 'bout to make his bid   Well, he heard one day that Bill the Kid, had just rode into town   And if he could take him, he would be the fastest gun around      He was just a kid of seventeen but he had a lightin' hand   And he said it's time I showed the world that I've become a man   Everyone thinks Billy is the fastest gun around   But they will know, I'm faster when they see me shoot him down      They finally came together down on Main Street just at five   The people were all gathered wonderin' who'd be left alive   Billy knew that Joey wanted notches on his gun   And he wished that he could give him those he'd carved upon his own      Joey's hand went to his side, he was sure that he had won   But before he even fired, he saw the smoke of Billy's gun   And he felt the bullet hit him hard and before his eyes he saw   His wasted life pass quickly ending with this fatal draw      Billy breathed more easily and he put away his gun   And he tried to ease his conscience for the wrong that he had done   Then he saddled up his horse and headed Westward out of town   And he wondered just how long he'd be the fastest gun around