Big Iron
| "Big Iron" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 45 Single cover | ||||
| Single by Marty Robbins | ||||
| from the album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs | ||||
| B-side | "Saddle Tramp" | |||
| Released | February 22, 1960[1] | |||
| Recorded | April 7, 1959 | |||
| Studio | Bradley Studios, Nashville, Tennessee | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:57 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter | Marty Robbins | |||
| Producer | Don Law | |||
| Marty Robbins singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"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 follows 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]
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]| Chart (1960–1961) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)ERROR in "Australia". MISSING PARAMETERS: song.[7] | 67 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[8] | 48 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 26 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[10] | 5 |
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[11] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[12] | 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. It was released as a single and peaked at number 62 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.[13]
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).[14]
- Boltgun (Warhammer 40k - Big Iron Parody) by TheAnarchistMuffin
- Colter Wall in Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs (2020)
- Big Mandalorian Iron (2021) by Kirt Connor, a parody based on The Mandalorian[15]
- Big Iron (2023) by The Longest Johns
- Big Iron (2024) by Garth Brooks
- Big Iron, Banjo Cover (29, Aug, 2024) by Talise Tunes
- Большая пушка (2024) by Балтийская Чайная Партия
Notes
[edit]- ^ 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.
In popular culture
[edit]Big Iron was featured in the 2010 Obsidian Entertainment video game Fallout: New Vegas on the in-game radio "Radio New Vegas".
References
[edit]- ^ "Marty Robbins – Big Iron". Discogs.com. 22 February 1960. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
- ^ a b "Marty Robbins - Big Iron". 45cat.com. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 533.
- ^ "The Drifter - Marty Robbins | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ Feldman, Brian (2019-02-13). "How the 60-Year-Old Country Song 'Big Iron' Became an Enduring Meme". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
- ^ ERROR in "Australia". MISSING PARAMETERS: song.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ "Marty Robbins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
- ^ "Marty Robbins Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Marty Robbins – Big Iron". Radioscope. Retrieved September 21, 2025. Type Big Iron in the "Search:" field.
- ^ "British single certifications – Marty Robbins – Big Iron". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ "RPM Country Tracks". RPM. December 25, 1993. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "Cover versions of Big Iron by Johnny Cash". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "Big Mandalorian Iron". YouTube. 23 December 2019.
