Blood And Dust (Gunhand's Lament) |
LyricsBLOOD AND DUST (GUNHAND'S LAMENT)Mark Patterson © 2025 Takes a man who don't bend don't break nor back down To survive the hard lessons the territories teach But the pilgrims kept comin' 'Cause a man needs to own somethin' 'Til they pushed their luck westward beyond the law's reach Now there's blood on my boots dried in the dust And you don't want to ask me about how it got there If he wants to get paid a man does what he must And when the smell of black powder hangs thick in the air Well that's when he's bound to learn the hard truth That it ain't about gold gunplay nor glory And written in blood on these dusty old boots Is the sorrowful ending to another man's story I saw real bravery in the war to end slavery Know less about life than I do about death Been riding so long now Ain't nowhere I belong now But I'll answer to no one 'til I draw my last breath I'm not haunted by lost souls over deeds that I've done Even now in this dark cell before my last dawn 'Cause I've seen enough killin' To know heroes from villains Comes down to which side of the badge you are on Now there's blood on my boots dried in the dust And you don't want to ask me about how it got there If he wants to get paid a man does what he must And when the smell of black powder hangs thick in the air Well that's when he's bound to learn the hard truth That it ain't about gold gunplay nor glory And written in blood on these dusty old boots Is the sorrowful ending to another man's story The sorrowful end to another man's story |
| Short Song Description: Country ballad about a hired gun in the post-Civil War period. |
| Long Song Description: Country ballad influenced by the Western revivalists like Marty Robbins, or Tex Ritter before him. The song follows the traditional Country Waltz format, with outstanding performances on guitar, mandolin, and pedal steel guitar. |
| Story Behind the Song: Like a lot of young men who survive armed conflict, the man in this song came out of the Civil War with only one marketable skill; killing for money. He has no home, no loyalties, and no conscience. In the course of carrying out an assassination, he gets blood on his boots, which marks the end of another man's life. |
| Lyric Credits: Mark Patterson |
| Music Credits: Mark Patterson |
| Producer Credits: Mark Patterson |
| Publisher Credits: Distinguishing Marks Music BMI |
| Performance Credits: |
| Label Credits: Distinguishing Marks Records LLC |
| Song Length: 3:43 |
| Primary Genre: Country-Cowboy |
| Secondary Genre: Country-Americana |
| Tempo / Feel: Medium (111 - 130) |
| Lead Vocal: Male Vocal |
| Subject Matter 1: Violence |
| Subject Matter 2: Guns |
| Mood 1: Poignant |
| Mood 2: Composed |
| Language: English |
| Era: 1800 - 1899 |