Big Iron Explained

Big Iron
Cover:BigIron&SaddleTramp.jpg
Caption:"Big Iron" and "Saddle Tramp" by Marty Robbins
Type:single
Artist:Marty Robbins
Album:Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
B-Side:Saddle Tramp
Released:February 22, 1960[1]
Studio:Bradley Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Label:Columbia
Producer:Don Law
Prev Title:El Paso
Prev Year:1959
Next Title:Is There Any Chance
Next Year:1960

"Big Iron" is a country ballad song written and performed by Marty Robbins. Originally released as an album track on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959, it was released as a single in February 1960 with the song "Saddle Tramp" as the B-side single.[2] In 2010, members of the Western Writers of America chose it as the 11th best Western song of all time.[3]

The song follows the story of an Arizona Ranger's duel with a 24-year-old outlaw named Texas Red. Taking place in the "town of Agua Fria", the townspeople predict the death of the ranger. Texas Red having already killed 20 men, is beaten in a duel due to the speed of the ranger, and the titular "big iron" gun.

The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Country chart and number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1960.[4] The B-side, "Saddle Tramp" was not included on Gunfighter Ballads,[2] but was later placed on Robbins' 1966 LP The Drifter.[5]

"Big Iron" is featured in the 2010 video game on the in-game radio station. The success of the game helped spur a revival of interest in Robbins' music in the 21st century. In the decade following Fallout: New Vegass release, "Big Iron" became an Internet meme, gaining popularity through remixes and parodies.[6]

Personnel

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Big Iron"!Chart (1960-1961)!Peak
position

In albums

Cover versions

Michael Martin Murphey covered the song on his 1993 album Cowboy Songs III. With the Robbins family's blessing, the song was recorded as a duet with Robbins. It was released as a single and peaked at number 62 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.[7]

Other covers of the song include:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Marty Robbins – Big Iron. 2017-12-05. Discogs.com. 22 February 1960 .
  2. Web site: Marty Robbins - Big Iron. 5 May 2021. 45cat.com.
  3. Web site: The Top 100 Western Songs . Western Writers of America . 2010 . Western Writers of America . American Cowboy . https://web.archive.org/web/20101019002745/http://americancowboy.com/culture/top-100-western-songs . 19 October 2010 . dead .
  4. [Joel Whitburn|Whitburn, Joel]
  5. Web site: The Drifter - Marty Robbins | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic. 5 May 2021. AllMusic.
  6. Web site: How the 60-Year-Old Country Song 'Big Iron' Became an Enduring Meme. Feldman. Brian. 2019-02-13. Intelligencer. en-us. 2019-12-27.
  7. Web site: RPM Country Tracks. RPM. December 25, 1993. September 8, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20170422132551/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.2345&type=1&interval=24. April 22, 2017. dead.
  8. Web site: Cover versions of Big Iron by Johnny Cash. Secondhandsongs.com. 26 April 2021.
  9. Web site: Boltgun (Warhammer 40k - Big Iron Parody) . . 6 February 2017 .
  10. Web site: Big Mandalorian Iron . . 23 December 2019 .

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