Lyrics

Legend of Joel Fowler
Terry Eilers - Kincaid and Mariam
BMI © 2005

It was in late 1892, the first snow was on the ground
Sam Johnson was a cattle buyer and he had just hit town
Doin? business with Joel Fowler, out at the Bear Springs spread
And he?d already made a deal on at least 500 head

But only 10 miles out the trail at the Magdalena Pass
Fowler?s gang caught up with Sam and his crew and shotem? in the back
That?s the way that he?d do business, time and time again
He?d say, ?Dig those holes deep boys, just bury them in the pens?

Now there?s ghosts all around us, you can feelem? everywhere
You hearem? in the canyons, they?re driftin? through the air
They ride on in the darkness, on the mountains and the plains
Nobody sees their faces, no one recalls their names

For five long years the terror reigned and cowboys disappeared
The army wouldn?t help and the lawmen lived in fear
16 souls had perished and 16 men had died
Before they formed the vigilantes and vowed to set things right

Fowler was as fast a gun as any outlaw hand
And it didn?t take the posse long to find out he was their man
But not a shot was fired when they came to take him in
The judge said, ?Hang him from that Cottonwood and put these murders to an end?

(Chorus)

Fowler hung for the deeds he?d done, all the men that he left dead
Then they layed him in the box to view, in a saloon called Texas Ed
Why he?d dressed fit to kill, was a question in their minds
Lookin? good was important to Joe you see, because never died

They put the wooden box on the train and the body hardly moved
But in that casket bound for California his wife put whiskey, chew and food
The lynchin? took the outlaw but somehow he survived
We?ll never know if it was the ghost of Joel Fowler or if he was still alive

(Short instrumental)
It?s been a hundred years or more, since those cowboys lost their lives
But I still feelem? out there, when I ride in at night
They?re lookin? for Joel Fowler, hooves thunderin? guns ablaze
But they always stop at the old corrals and melt into their graves

(Chorus)

(After last chorus)
They?re all doomed to ride forever, they were taken on the trail
They can?t find their way to heaven and won?t take the road to hell
They can?t find their way to heaven and there too good to go to hell