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It was always so quiet before a Wyatt Earp gunfight. Too quiet, some might say-- Down by the OK Corral Wyatt Earp would stand there, alone, watchin' the whole Clanton Gang come a-stragglin' in just before dawn. All of 'em was armed to the teeth, sweatin' whiskey, And hell bent for leather. All of 'em 'ceptin' young Billy Clanton that is. Y'see, young Billy swore he'd never wore a gun-belt before in his life. But he warn't a-skeert! No sirree, bob! He warn't a-skeert a-tall! Then Doc Holliday would come a-swaggerin' outta the saloon like some damn tumbleweed, Eyes a-shinin', Fingers a-twitchin', And always just in the nick-o'-time. And the whole town, good citizens all, would shudder behind windowless panes-- and pray. Some prayed for justice. Others prayed for salvation. But most of 'em just prayed they didn't get shot. Then-- Bang! Bang bang! Bang! Bang bang bang! And everything got still. Real still. So still you could hear the cactus grow-- And then the town would pick itself up, dust itself off, and plant bootless young Billy-- and all the rest-- up under yonder hill. Meanwhile Doc Holliday would sway back to Wyatt and say somethin' witty to the saloon. And the saloon girl would always get her man. And they’d paddle off on a steamboat. Or steam off on a paddleboat, dependin' on which version you was watchin'. But I shoulda said Wyatt Earp's saloon girl always got her man. On accounta Doc Holliday’s saloon girl got choked to death. Y'see, she was a drunk. And a whore. Even so, Doc didn't choke her to death. Not that he didn’t feel like it sometimes. But deep inside Doc had a heart of gold. Deep inside Doc also had the consumption. So you might say he got choked to death too. But he didn't die until after the picture was over, And it was time to ride off into the sunset, young man, and bunk down under starry skies painted midnight blue years before. It was always so quiet after a Wyatt Earp gunfight. Too quiet, Some might say... |
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