Somewhere between the sea and far-off civil wars and battles,
Walks Sidewinder, tall and slim, and at his best in gun and saddle.
He started out an orphan from northeastern South Dakota.  
Then made his way to rustlin’ cattle trains in Minnesota.
 
Sidewinder met Sweet Betsy Rose from Denver, Colorado,
But lost her to a down and dirty drifting desperado.
‘’Big Jim Thorn’’ he called himself - his real name was Beatty.
He flashed a smile, then flashed some gold and stole Sidewinder’s lady.
 
Now in this dry old range, with dusty roads and barns well wintered,
You’ll find a town with fences flecked with paint and drily splintered.
Dogfaced Jack lives down a bit. From clapboard shack he mines the gold
That every man would kill to get his free hands on - dense, rich and cold.
 
In a tavern built of nails and wood,
Where pianos blare and the poker’s good,
Sidewinder stops for a shot and a hand.
He spies Betsy Rose glancing over her fan
And through sawdust thick and the barmaid’s glare,
Big Jim ‘cross the room sees Sidewinder’s stare……..
 
The clock strikes twelve. The whiskey flows.
Those cards are down. Them cards will show
The ace of spades, the diamond queen.  
Jim’s pistol’s drawn…. he’s lookin’ mean.
 
Sidewinder goes for the gun at his side.
Should he stand up and fight? He couldn’t decide.
Or should he stand down and walk outta that door?
His eyes meet Big Jim’s as he moves ‘cross the floor.
Somebody’s for sure gonna die here today
If that Sidewinder don’t take his leave right away.

He takes a glance sidelong at Sweet Betsy Rose.
She puts down her fan and then puts up her nose.
Sidewinder, he sees the thick gold round her neck,
And he knows, then and there, she ne’er loved him a peck.
 
He walks slowly ‘round, keeping Jim in his sight,
Then backs out the door and off into the night.
Sidewinder mounts up on his pale horse and then
 Rides away in the dark, lone and free once again.
 
“That man’s a damn coward,” said some folks that night.
“He turned tail and ran like a jackrabbit might.!”
But sometimes it’s best if you wind to the side,
And forget all that shootin’ and damn foolish pride.
Then maybe, just maybe, you’ll live one more day……

At least ol’ Sidewinder, he sees it that way.