Big Iron
| "Big Iron" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 "Big Iron" and "Saddle Tramp" by Marty Robbins | ||||
| Single by Marty Robbins | ||||
| from the album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs | ||||
| B-side | "Saddle Tramp" | |||
| Released | February 22, 1960[1] | |||
| Recorded | April 7, 1959 | |||
| Studio | Bradley Studios, Nashville, Tennessee | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:57 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Marty Robbins | |||
| Producer(s) | Don Law | |||
| Marty Robbins singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"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",[a] 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 Fallout: New Vegas 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 Vegas's release, "Big Iron" became an Internet meme, gaining popularity through remixes and parodies.[6]
Personnel
[edit]- Marty Robbins - lead vocals
- The Glaser Brothers - backing vocals
- Bob Moore - bass
- Grady Martin - lead guitar
- Jack H. Pruett - guitar
- Louis Dunn - drums
- Don Law - production
- M.C. Rather - sound mastering
- Hollis Flatt - sound mastering
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1960-1961) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[7] | 67 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 26 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[9] | 5 |
In albums
[edit]- Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (September 1959), a compilation, CL 1349 - mono, CS 8158 - stereo, PC 8158
- More Greatest Hits (April 1961), CL 1635 - mono, CS 8435 - stereo, PC 8435
- Bend in the River (1968), D 445 - mono (Columbia Musical Treasuries), DS 445 - stereo
- The Heart of Marty Robbins (1969), STS 2016 (Columbia Star Series)
- All Time Greatest Hits (August 1972), CG 31361, KG 31361, C 31361
- Marty! (1972 - 5 record set), P5S 5812 (Columbia Musical Treasury)
- Streets of Laredo, KH 32286 (Harmony, August 1973), LE 10576 (Columbia, December 1973)
- Marty Robbins' Own Favorites (1974), P 12416 (Columbia Special Products)
- Marty Robbins Gold (1975), NU 9060 (K-Tel)
- All Around Cowboy (1980) P 15594
- No. 1 Cowboy (1980), P 15594 (re-release of "All Around Cowboy")
- Marty Robbins (1981), GS 4003 (History of Country Music, Sunrise Media)
- A Lifetime of Song 1951 - 1982 (August 1983), C2 38870
- Memories in Song (1983 - 2 record set), P2 19162 (Columbia Special Product)
- The Best Of Marty Robbins (1984), RB4-214-1
- The Essential Marty Robbins:1951-1982 (1991), Sony Music Entertainment Inc C2T 48537 CT48538 CT 48539
- Marty Robbins Lost and found (1994), Sony Music Entertainment Inc CT 57695
- Marty Robbins Memories in Song (1994), Sony Music Special Products Compact Disc A 19163
- Marty Robbins Live Concert Versions Of His Greatest Hits (1995), Pickwick Group Ltd London England 300382
- Under Western Skies (Oct 1995), Bear Family Records, West Germany 4-CD Box Set BCD 15646
- Marty Robbins Legendary Country Singers (1995), Sony Music Special Products R989-06 PT-25142
- Story of My Life: Best of Marty Robbins (Mar 1996), Sony Music Entertainment Inc Sony CK 64763
Cover versions
[edit]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.[10]
Other covers of the song include:
- Kingfish (1976) by Kingfish
- Gun Shot a Cry (1983) by Eek-A-Mouse
- Under the Influences (1999) by Mike Ness
- Big Iron (2001) by Carol Noonan
- Johnny Cash, in American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002). Also included in Unearthed (2003).[11]
- Colter Wall in Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs (2020)
- Big Mandalorian Iron (2021) by Kirt Connor, a parody based on The Mandalorian[12]
- Big Iron (2023) by The Longest Johns
- Big Iron (2024) by Garth Brooks
- Big Iron, Banjo Cover (29, Aug, 2024) by Talise Tunes
Notes
[edit]- ^ It is suggested that the "town of Agua Fria" is Agua Fria, New Mexico; see "Research - Big Iron The Book". Archived from the original on 2015-06-16. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
References
[edit]- ^ "Marty Robbins – Big Iron". Discogs.com. 22 February 1960. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
- ^ a b "Marty Robbins - Big Iron". 45cat.com. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 533.
- ^ "The Drifter - Marty Robbins | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ Feldman, Brian (2019-02-13). "How the 60-Year-Old Country Song 'Big Iron' Became an Enduring Meme". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
- ^ "Marty Robbins – {{{song}}}". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
- ^ "Marty Robbins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
- ^ "Marty Robbins Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
- ^ "RPM Country Tracks". RPM. December 25, 1993. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "Cover versions of Big Iron by Johnny Cash". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "Big Mandalorian Iron". YouTube. 23 December 2019.
