We were riding through the flatlands
We were searching for two prisoner
Who just broke jail
A tall one and a lean one
Rode a chestnut stallion
And the word was that the main man
Well he was mean as hell

refrain:
An outlaw is a man
Who never understands
A word called danger
He learns to shoot and ride as a child
And to never trust a stranger
And he's always called a better man

We chased him to the border
All the way to El Paso
The ride was long, the ride was hard
But the sheriff said we can't let 'em go
He said let me tell you something
I've been tracking for a long time
They never trust a stranger
And they take care of their own

refrain

Today's man is an outlaw
On that long road to freedom
You work him to take his pride
And then you try to cheat him
Then one day you figure out
It's a long long story
An outlaw is a man who takes care of his own

refrain