Big Iron - Wikipedia

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  • 1 Personnel
  • 2 Charts
  • 3 Certifications
  • 4 Cover versions
  • 5 Notes
  • 6 References
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Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see Big Iron (disambiguation). 1960 single by Marty Robbins
"Big Iron"
45 Single cover
Single by Marty Robbins
from the album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
B-side"Saddle Tramp"
ReleasedFebruary 22, 1960[1]
RecordedApril 7, 1959 (1959-04-07)
StudioBradley Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre
  • Country
  • Western
  • Tex-Mex
Length3:57
LabelColumbia
SongwriterMarty Robbins
ProducerDon Law
Marty Robbins singles chronology
"El Paso" (1959) "Big Iron" (1960) "Is There Any Chance" (1960)

"Big Iron" is a Western 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 tells 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, despite having already killed 20 men, is beaten in the duel due to the speed of the ranger, and the titular "big iron" gun.

The song reached number five 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][7] The song received renewed praise when it was featured in "The Innovator," the second season premiere of the Fallout television series.[8]

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] Weekly chart performance for "Big Iron"
Chart (1960–1961) Peakposition
Australia (ARIA)[9] 67
UK Singles (OCC)[10] 48
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 26
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] 5

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[13] Gold 15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[14] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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' original vocals. It was released as a single and peaked at number 62 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.[15]

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).[16]
  • Colter Wall in Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs (2020)
  • Big Iron (2023) by The Longest Johns
  • Big Iron (2024) by Garth Brooks

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The "town of Agua Fria" is suggested to be Agua Fria, New Mexico; see "Research - Big Iron The Book". Archived from the original on 2015-06-16. Retrieved 2015-05-21.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Marty Robbins – Big Iron". Discogs.com. 22 February 1960. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  2. ^ a b "Marty Robbins - Big Iron". 45cat.com. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  3. ^ Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 533.
  5. ^ "The Drifter - Marty Robbins | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  6. ^ Feldman, Brian (2019-02-13). "How the 60-Year-Old Country Song 'Big Iron' Became an Enduring Meme". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
  7. ^ Cichacki, Shaun (2025-05-16). "I Know I'm 15 Years Late to the Party, but 'Fallout: New Vegas' May Have the Greatest Licensed Soundtrack Ever". VICE. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  8. ^ "'Fallout' Season 2, episode 1 includes iconic 'New Vegas' song 'Big Iron'". Mashable. 2025-12-17.
  9. ^ "Marty Robbins – Big Iron". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  10. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 26/5/1960 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  11. ^ "Marty Robbins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  12. ^ "Marty Robbins Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  13. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Marty Robbins – Big Iron". Radioscope. Retrieved September 21, 2025. Type Big Iron in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  14. ^ "British single certifications – Marty Robbins – Big Iron". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 21, 2025. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Big Iron Marty Robbins in the "Search:" field.
  15. ^ "RPM Country Tracks". RPM. December 25, 1993. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  16. ^ "Cover versions of Big Iron by Johnny Cash". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Marty Robbins
Albums
  • The Song of Robbins (1957)
  • Song of the Islands (1958)
  • Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (1959)
  • More Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (1960)
  • Return of the Gunfighter (1963)
  • R.F.D. (1964)
  • The Drifter (1966)
  • Tonight Carmen (1967)
  • I Walk Alone (1968)
  • It's a Sin (1969)
  • My Woman, My Woman, My Wife (1970)
  • Today (1972)
  • This Much a Man (1972)
  • El Paso City (1976)
  • Adios Amigo (1977)
  • The Performer (1979)
Notable singles
  • "Stairway of Love"
  • "I'll Go On Alone"
  • "I Couldn't Keep from Crying"
  • "That's All Right"
  • "Maybellene"
  • "Singing the Blues"
  • "Knee Deep in the Blues"
  • "A White Sport Coat"
  • "Ain't I Right"
  • "The Story of My Life"
  • "Just Married"
  • "She Was Only Seventeen"*
  • "The Hanging Tree"
  • "El Paso"
  • "Big Iron"
  • "Don't Worry"
  • "Devil Woman"
  • "Ruby Ann"
  • "Begging to You"
  • "Ribbon of Darkness"
  • "Tonight Carmen"
  • "I Walk Alone"
  • "It's a Sin"
  • "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife"
  • "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)"
  • "El Paso City"
  • "Among My Souvenirs"
  • "I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)"
  • "Return to Me"
  • "Some Memories Just Won't Die"
  • "Tie Your Dream to Mine"
Related articles
  • Discography
  • Jeanne Pruett
  • v
  • t
  • e
Michael Martin Murphey
1970s albums
  • Geronimo's Cadillac (1972)
  • Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir (1973)
  • Michael Murphey (1974)
  • Blue Sky – Night Thunder (1975)
  • Swans Against the Sun (1975)
  • Flowing Free Forever (1976)
  • Lone Wolf (1978)
  • Peaks, Valleys, Honky Tonks & Alleys (1979)
1980s albums
  • Hard Country (1981)
  • Michael Martin Murphey (1982)
  • The Heart Never Lies (1983)
  • The Best of Michael Martin Murphey (1984)
  • Tonight We Ride (1986)
  • Americana (1987)
  • River of Time (1988)
  • Land of Enchantment (1989)
1990s albums
  • Cowboy Songs (1990)
  • Cowboy Christmas: Cowboy Songs II (1991)
  • Cowboy Songs III (1993)
  • Sagebrush Symphony (1995)
  • The Horse Legends (1997)
  • Cowboy Songs Four (1998)
  • Acoustic Christmas Carols: Cowboy Christmas II (1999)
2000s albums
  • Playing Favorites (2001)
  • Cowboy Classics: Playing Favorites II (2002)
  • Cowboy Christmas III (2002)
  • Live at Billy Bob's Texas (2004)
  • Heartland Cowboy: Cowboy Songs, Vol. 5 (2006)
  • Buckaroo Blue Grass (2009)
2010s albums
  • Lone Cowboy (2010)
  • Buckaroo Blue Grass II (2010)
  • Tall Grass & Cool Water (2011)
  • Campfire on the Road (2012)
  • Red River Drifter (2013)
  • High Stakes (2016)
Notable singles
  • "Geronimo's Cadillac"
  • "Wildfire"
  • "Mansion on the Hill"
  • "Cherokee Fiddle"
  • "What's Forever For"
  • "Still Taking Chances"
  • "Love Affairs"
  • "Don't Count the Rainy Days"
  • "Will It Be Love by Morning"
  • "Disenchanted"
  • "Radio Land"
  • "What She Wants"
  • "Carolina in the Pines"
  • "Rollin' Nowhere"
  • "Fiddlin' Man"
  • "A Face in the Crowd" (with Holly Dunn)
  • "A Long Line of Love"
  • "I'm Gonna Miss You, Girl"
  • "Talkin' to the Wrong Man" (with Ryan Murphey)
  • "Pilgrims on the Way (Matthew's Song)"
  • "From the Word Go"
  • "Never Givin' Up on Love"
  • "Route 66"
  • "Big Iron"
Related articles
  • Discography
  • Ryan Murphey
  • Rio Grande Band
  • Pat Flynn
Authority control databases Edit this at Wikidata
  • MusicBrainz work
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Iron&oldid=1339248037" Categories:
  • Western music (North America) songs
  • 1959 songs
  • Country ballads
  • Murder ballads
  • Marty Robbins songs
  • Johnny Cash songs
  • Songs written by Marty Robbins
  • Michael Martin Murphey songs
  • Columbia Records singles
  • Internet memes introduced in 2019
  • 1950s ballads
  • Song recordings produced by Don Law
  • Fast draw in popular culture
  • Mike Ness songs
Hidden categories:
  • Articles with short description
  • Short description is different from Wikidata
  • Articles with hAudio microformats
  • Single chart usages for Australia
  • Single chart usages for UK
  • Single chart usages for Billboardhot100
  • Single chart called without song
  • Single chart usages for Billboardcountrysongs
  • Certification Table Entry usages for New Zealand
  • Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming figures
  • Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom
  • Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming footnote
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