Oh, Johnny Rondo and his son
Both headin’ west without a gun.
Our Johnny vowed he’d kill no more.
Hey, what you gonna do when they challenge you
Without your guns, Johnny Rondo?
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen holes in sixteen souls from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen holes in sixteen souls from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
They rode the hills, the Brothers Tate,
Released from jail all filled with hate.
Our Johnny shot their brother, Joe.
Hey, what you gonna do when they challenge you, Johnny Rondo?
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Hey, what you gonna do when they find you without your guns, poor Johnny Rondo?
A man has time to dream and when he’s done his job
He get’s to thinkin’ of a past, of a lynching mob.
He thinks of a boy ‘bout when he was just half his age,
Of a circuit judge, a prison, and a cold, cold, cold, cold cage.
The Brothers swore to track him down
And so they rode from town to town,
Over mountains high, through valleys low.
Hey, what you gonna do when they face you
Without your guns, oh Johnny Rondo?
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen holes in sixteen souls from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen holes in sixteen souls from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
A girl named Mary Ann came into Johnny’s life.
They fell in love. They were wed and were man and wife.
Though she knew the life he led, he didn’t know in town
A gunman’s bullet meant for him would shoot sweet Mary Ann down.
In Tubac town they found a guy.
They asked if Johnny had been by.
They threatened poor old Amos Brill.
So what you gonna do? Better tell them the truth
Or you’ll end up on top of Boot Hill.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo
Hey, what you gonna do when they face you without your guns, oh Johnny Rondo?
It all began the day big Vince McGrawly came
And put young Johnny Rondo’s mom to an awful shame.
Though a half-grown boy, one night poor Johnny rode to town
And for the first time killed a man when he shot McGrawly down.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
When you fool with lust, you bite the dust from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen holes in sixteen souls from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
The brothers rode to Tucson fast.
They crossed the desert wide and vast.
Tho Johnny vowed to kill no more
Hey, what you gonna do when they challenge you
Without your guns, Johnny Rondo?
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Will you wear a gun or start to run when they all come? Poor Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
That was long ago. Are your hands too slow to beat draw, Johnny Rondo?
When Johnny faced the Brothers Tate
He wore his guns and tempted fate.
Our Johnny vowed he’d kill no more
And like he said no blood was shed
When he beat Jed to the draw
Yes, like he said no blood was shed from the cold steel lead of Johnny Rondo.
A man has time to dream and when he’s done his job
He get’s to thinkin of a past, of a lynching mob.
He thinks of a boy ‘bout when he was just half his age,
Of a circuit judge, a prison and a cold, cold, cold, cold cage.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Now it’s over and done. You don’t need a gun.
You’re headin’ west with your son, Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Now it’s over and done. You don’t need a gun.
You’re headin’ west with your son, Johnny Rondo.
Johnny Rondo! Johnny Rondo!
Both headin’ west without a gun.
Our Johnny vowed he’d kill no more.
Hey, what you gonna do when they challenge you
Without your guns, Johnny Rondo?
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen holes in sixteen souls from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen holes in sixteen souls from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
They rode the hills, the Brothers Tate,
Released from jail all filled with hate.
Our Johnny shot their brother, Joe.
Hey, what you gonna do when they challenge you, Johnny Rondo?
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Hey, what you gonna do when they find you without your guns, poor Johnny Rondo?
A man has time to dream and when he’s done his job
He get’s to thinkin’ of a past, of a lynching mob.
He thinks of a boy ‘bout when he was just half his age,
Of a circuit judge, a prison, and a cold, cold, cold, cold cage.
The Brothers swore to track him down
And so they rode from town to town,
Over mountains high, through valleys low.
Hey, what you gonna do when they face you
Without your guns, oh Johnny Rondo?
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen holes in sixteen souls from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen holes in sixteen souls from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
A girl named Mary Ann came into Johnny’s life.
They fell in love. They were wed and were man and wife.
Though she knew the life he led, he didn’t know in town
A gunman’s bullet meant for him would shoot sweet Mary Ann down.
In Tubac town they found a guy.
They asked if Johnny had been by.
They threatened poor old Amos Brill.
So what you gonna do? Better tell them the truth
Or you’ll end up on top of Boot Hill.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo
Hey, what you gonna do when they face you without your guns, oh Johnny Rondo?
It all began the day big Vince McGrawly came
And put young Johnny Rondo’s mom to an awful shame.
Though a half-grown boy, one night poor Johnny rode to town
And for the first time killed a man when he shot McGrawly down.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
When you fool with lust, you bite the dust from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen holes in sixteen souls from the guns of Johnny Rondo.
The brothers rode to Tucson fast.
They crossed the desert wide and vast.
Tho Johnny vowed to kill no more
Hey, what you gonna do when they challenge you
Without your guns, Johnny Rondo?
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Will you wear a gun or start to run when they all come? Poor Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
That was long ago. Are your hands too slow to beat draw, Johnny Rondo?
When Johnny faced the Brothers Tate
He wore his guns and tempted fate.
Our Johnny vowed he’d kill no more
And like he said no blood was shed
When he beat Jed to the draw
Yes, like he said no blood was shed from the cold steel lead of Johnny Rondo.
A man has time to dream and when he’s done his job
He get’s to thinkin of a past, of a lynching mob.
He thinks of a boy ‘bout when he was just half his age,
Of a circuit judge, a prison and a cold, cold, cold, cold cage.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Now it’s over and done. You don’t need a gun.
You’re headin’ west with your son, Johnny Rondo.
Sixteen tried and sixteen died at the hands of Johnny Rondo.
Now it’s over and done. You don’t need a gun.
You’re headin’ west with your son, Johnny Rondo.
Johnny Rondo! Johnny Rondo!
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