The Search

The bar room was quiet, and smoke filled the air
A young fellow was dying with no one to care
I held him in my arms, a sad sight to see
Hear my story, he said, 'fore you bury me
When I was a boy I saw my father die
By the gun of a man with a scar across his eye
And I swore that when I was full grown
That I’d kill that man with a gun of my own
I spent the years working, working day and night
Learning how to shoot, and learning how to fight
The word got around, oh it was known by all
They knew I drew fast, they knew I stood tall
When the time was right, I left my town
To search for the man that gunned my pa down
I rode through the night, I rode without stop
I rode without rest, 'till I thought I would drop
Then I heard that a man with a scar had been seen
In some God-forsook town, north of Abilene
I knew at last, I would see justice done
And if pa was alive, he’d be proud of his son
When I rode through that town, every man turned away;
They could see by my face there was devil to pay
I got off my horse and went into the bar
And standing right there was the man with the scar
He looked straight at me, my mouth went dust-dry
He said, «What is it son?» I said, «You're gonna die!»
But as I went for my gun, a bullet hit my chest
And the last thing I saw was a star on his vest
That was the story he whispered to me
It’s funny how foolish some men can be
And strange, I thought, as I buried him that day
How men, without knowing why, throw their lives away