Story poem about an old cowboy who confronts a street gang to avenge his grandson's murder. Peaked at #3 poetry, #15 overall talk charts.
Writer, now speaker.
Ice Stevens is the antimatter counterpart of . Were they ever to meet, they would annihilate in a burst of gamma rays.
Actually, after being on Soundclick for almost two years, I had my first #1 on the talk charts. So I've set up this page to distribute my written (and spoken) word.
Story behind the song
Don't believe Big & Rich—Old Jim is the last John Wayne left in this town ;)
This was going to be a song, but I wasn't sure how to track it. The title is an obvious twist on the phrase "Urban Cowboy." Originally it was going to be about a Quixotic Old West cowboy titlting against the windmills of urbanization and urban decay.
The confrontation scene was inspired by Charlie Daniels' "Simple Man," as well as Batman's confrontation with the mutant gang leader in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. The inspiration for the end is obvious.
Lyrics
Jim was born to be a cowboy
He learned to rope and ride,
Worked on the family ranch
Since the day that he turned five.
Developers needed the land
So they shut the ranch down
And then this young cowboy
He got a factory job in town.
Developers call it progress
But Jim, he's not so sure
It's not a blight on the land
For which there is no cure.
Now Jim's a suburban cowboy,
A relic from the past,
Doesn't know where he fits in
The world's changing way too fast.
At night Jim still dreams
Of the wide-open sky
But when he wakes up
He finds it was all a lie
Years go by, Jim's son is a success
His ranch is split-level,
But old Jim's son doesn't know
The Old West from the devil.
Jim's grandson is a good kid
But he dresses like a gangster;
Grandson's friends are into meth
Because they don't know any better.
Jim's grandson went into the city
But the young man never came back
He was wearing the wrong colors
Was shot by a gangster named Zack.
Jim's a suburban cowboy,
They say he's living in the past.
The world's not like it used to be
It's still changing way too fast.
But they shot down his grandson,
And now they're gonna pay.
If the law won't help,
Then old Jim will have his day.
Jim's son calls the police,
There's nothing they can do,
The police gave up long ago
On this concrete urban zoo.
Jim goes into the city,
Looking for the red and black,
Hunting down the gangster
We all know as Zack.
Zack calls him an old fool,
Says "what you going to do?"
Jim pulls his six-shooter
Says, "Boy, I've come for you!"
Now this suburban cowboy
Has come to gun Zack down,
Avenge his grandson's death
For wearing blue and brown.
This is what Jim was born for,
His time has come at last.
Gonna show young Zack
The justice of the West!
Zack's homeys come to watch the sight:
Whether the code of the west,
Or the law of the streets,
A man must fight his own fights.
Zack he pulls his Glock,
Tells old Jim, "bring it on,"
Then a shot rings out
And Jim's the one who's gone.
Not as fast as he once was,
Age got Jim this night,
But Jim swears his revenge
If it takes the rest of time.
Jim was a suburban cowboy,
But now his life has ended,
Found the enemy he couldn't beat
While out to avenge his kin.
Jim was a suburban cowboy,
A relic from the past,
But things aren't as they used to be
The world, it changed way too fast.
You may think this story's over,
But my tale has just begun:
Jim went to the afterlife
Wearing his six-shooter gun.
Too ornery for Heaven,
Too pure for Hell,
St. Peter sent Jim back to the streets
Where this old cowboy's body fell.
Now the gangsters say, you'd better be careful,
Or Jim and his posse will be sure to get you.
You better be fast, 'cause if you're too slow,
Old Jim the Ghost Rider will steal away your soul!
He was a suburban cowboy,
Now he's a Rider in the Sky.
Jim will clean up this town
If it takes the rest of time.
He was a suburban cowboy,
Now he's a Rider in the Sky.
Jim will clean up this town
If it takes the rest of time.
©2006 Ice Stevens/Archie Wayne Mangold II. All rights reserved.
