And he never had a sweetheart
And he never had a home But the cowboy and the rancher knew his name Billy dives into a country-and-western theme with the mini-epic "The Ballad of Billy The Kid." It is a brilliant tune on many levels, an Elmer Bernstein and Copeland Brothers-esque tribute to a fictionalized Billy The Kid. It rocks, it rolls, it clicks and clacks along to horse hoofs, and it even features symphonic strings. The call-and-response between the bold strings and Billy's nifty piano playing is utterly enjoyable. It's big, it's bold, it's brassy. It's quintessentially American.
Like America, the scope of the song is grand and sweeping, but at the same time the song tells the intimate tale of a loner, a man who always rode alone yet won the admiration of many. A man who "never had sweetheart" or a home, "but the cowboy and the rancher knew his name." In the final stanza of the song, Billy brings us back to the 20th century and another "Billy," this one from Oyster Bay, Long Island who carries a six-pack in his hand instead of Colt 45 and who also aspires to be famous. Billy has said he was not referring to himself in the final stanza, but certainly his story fits the theme. Like the young Billy the Kid, Billy Joel "soon put many older guns to shame" and established himself "east and west of the Rio Grande." Vertical Divider
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From a town known as Wheeling, West Virginia Rode a boy with a six-gun in his hand And his daring life of crime Made him a legend in his time East and west of the Rio Grande Well he started with a bank in Colorado In the pocket of his vest, a Colt he hid And his age and his size Took the teller by surprise And the word spread of Billy the Kid Well, he never traveled heavy Yes, he always rode alone And he soon put many older guns to shame And he never had a sweetheart And he never had a home But the cowboy and the rancher knew his name Well, he robbed his way from Utah to Oklahoma And the law just could not seem to track him down And it served his legend well For the folks, they'd love to tell 'Bout when Billy the Kid came to town Well, one cold day a posse captured Billy And the judge said, "String him up for what he did" And the cowboys and their kin Like the sea came pourin' in To watch the hangin' of Billy the Kid Well, he never traveled heavy Yes, he always rode alone And he soon put many older guns to shame And he never had a sweetheart But he finally found a home Underneath the boothill grave that bears his name From a town known as Oyster Bay, Long Island Rode a boy with a six-pack in his hand And his daring life of crime Made him a legend in his time East and west of the Rio Grande Billy discusses "The Ballad of Billy The Kid" from a 1981 interview.
Billy on "The Ballad of Billy The Kid" on SiriusXM radio (2016)
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There are several other good live concert versions of the song such as the 1981 version on Songs In The Attic. In concert, Billy often humorously explains how the song is historically inaccurate (though Billy is an avid history buff and knows his history). For example, he sings of Billy the Kid's legend spreading "east and west of the Rio Grande," however, the Rio Grande runs east-west. And that Billy wasn't hung, at least as far as we know.
It is too bad the song came out before music videos became popular. Someone could have made a fantastic music video for this song. Or it could have been a great soundtrack to a movie.
It is too bad the song came out before music videos became popular. Someone could have made a fantastic music video for this song. Or it could have been a great soundtrack to a movie.
Videos
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Introduction to "The Ballad of Billy The Kid" (audio) on WMMR.
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"The Ballad of Billy The Kid" (audio only) from the WMMR radio concert.
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Studio version from the Piano Man album (1973)
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Live performance (video) from 1972 on The Session from Southern Illinois University. Thanks to Billy Joel Lost Tapes for posting.
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Live performance on The Midnight Special (1075)
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