Ballad of Mack McGee

Just as man and all things come from the water Mack McGee rode east from that oasis town As the heat beat down on him hotter He thought back to Eden from this desert he's in now Well the first stop that Mack had made in Eden Was off his horse and into the saloon With a dusty deck of cards Mack started dealin' Said he'd buy every gambling man a round of booze No the sheriff never took to Mack too kindly Said, "That McGee could never be no honest man!" How the hate and whisky in his gut was a-brewin' When that sheriff went and lost another hand Just as man and all things come from the water From the oasis rode the rambler Mack McGee Through the sand poor Mack was cursed to wander No you couldn't squeeze a drop from his canteen Then one day Mack fell deep in love with a girl named Sue By the oasis they would rendezvous beneath the full, full moon But that night their joy all turned to fright When a silver badge, it caught a beam a light The sheriff's scream echoed out from over the water, "Dirty Mack, get your grubby hands off of my daughter!" Seems it was written in the stars Since the day these cats met in that Martian bar That tonight would be a showdown But our man Mack was hot And he drew first and shot He fed that old sheriff six rounds of lead Shot his sweet Sue's daddy six times dead He sighed, "My Sue, Sue, sweetie Sue, what did I do?" Then Sue said, "Curse you Mack, now you can never back! As a fugitive you'll live out there alone Until the red sand underfoot do claim your bones You're cursed to roam and to never find a home!" Just as man and all things come from the water Mack McGee rode east from that oasis town As the heat beat down on him hotter He thought back to Eden from this desert he's in now The last stop that Mack had made in Eden Was to his horse, back at the saloon As an angry mob formed right before him That young cowboy knew exactly what to do Well he looked at them all and he said, "Excuse me ladies and gentleman, I'm terribly sorry to inform you but, uh, in fact... I ain't the hack called Dirty Mack That Mr. McGee sure ain't me But boys, come hell or high water I'm sure that Mack will turn up dead 'Cause I'm stealing his horse Just call me... Ted!" Just as man and all things come from the water From the oasis rode the rambler Mack McGee Damned to eat the dust and to wander No you couldn't squeeze a drop from his canteen I tell ya The story of man begins in the water When he crawled up butt naked with a pistol on the sand And though there ain't a being quick or smart enough to harm him The love or water this cat finds can't never last Though man and all things come from the water Only liquor's served on the bars on Mars