I have been listening to Josh Turner’s music (pictured right above) on his You tube channel for years. His take 2 of Wagon Wheel, a song originally sketched by Bob Dylan was the clincher for me and will be discussed here when we reach the ‘W’s in the alphabetical listing.
Josh and long time collaborator Carson McKee’s musicianship and harmonies in their cover version of Marty Robbin’s Big Iron – today’s featured track is something to behold. And just like in Wagon Wheel they ooze this great chemistry together.

According to Josh Turner’s ‘About‘ page:

Turner is a multi-instrumentalist (acoustic guitar and electric guitar), singer, songwriter, and producer based in Brooklyn, New York. Joshua Lee Turner posts eclectic cover songs and original music since he started the channel in 2007 at age 15. His guitar covers range from rock, R&B, bluegrass, folk, jazz, classical, pop, indie, blues, etc.

Josh now tours internationally in support of his own original music, as well as with long-time collaborator Carson McKee, as the folk duo The Other Favorites. In 2020, Josh released Public Life, his second full-length album of original music.

Josh and Carson’s cover version of Big Iron, a song written by Marty Robbins in 1959 is a country ballad about an unnamed Arizona Ranger who has a fateful duel with the notorious outlaw Texas Red. It’s like a whole western movie (ala High Noon) in one song.

While the encounter itself is likely fiction, the titular “Big Iron” is a real gun, based on one that Robbins saw in a gun shop in Hollywood. It was a one-off custom piece, described as a Great Western copy of the famed Colt Single Action army pistol featuring several unique features, including the backstrap from a Colt 1860 Army and a barrel made from a sawed-down Marlin Rifle.

In the 21st century, the song has once again become popular due to its use in the 2010 post apocalypse/Western RPG Fallout: New Vegas.

[Verse 2]
It was early in the morning
When he rode into the town
He came riding from the south side
Slowly looking all around
“He’s an outlaw loose and running”
Came the whisper from each lip
“And he’s here to do some business
With the big iron on his hip”
Big iron on his hip

[Verse 3]
In this town there lived an outlaw
By the name of Texas Red
Many men had tried to take him
And that many men were dead
He was vicious and a killer
Though a youth of twenty-four
And the notches on his pistol
Numbered one and nineteen more
One and nineteen more

[Verse 4]
Now the stranger started talking
Made it plain to folks around
Was an Arizona Ranger
Wouldn’t be too long in town
He came here to take an outlaw
Back alive, or maybe dead
And he said it didn’t matter
He was after Texas Red
After Texas Red

[Verse 5]
Wasn’t long before the story
Was relayed to Texas Red
But the outlaw didn’t worry
Men that tried before were dead
Twenty men had tried to take him
Twenty men had made a slip
Twenty-one would be the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

[Verse 6]
The morning passed so quickly
It was time for them to meet
It was twenty past eleven
When they walked out in the street
Folks were watching from the windows
Everybody held their breath
They knew this handsome Ranger
Was about to meet his death
‘Bout to meet his death

[Verse 7]
There was forty feet between them
When they stopped to make their play
And the swiftness of the Ranger
Is still talked about today
Texas Red had not cleared leather
‘Fore a bullet fairly ripped
And the Ranger’s aim was deadly
With the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

[Verse 8]
It was over in a moment
And the folks had gathered round
There before them lay the body
Of the outlaw on the ground
Oh, he might have went on livin’
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

[Outro]
Big iron, big iron
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

References:
1. Josh Turner – You Tube Channel
2. Big Iron – Wikipedia