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Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Lyrics

Artist: Gene Pitney

When Liberty Valance rode to town the womenfolk would hide, they'd hide
When Liberty Valance walked around the men would step aside
'cause the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood
When it came to shootin' straight and fast---he was mighty good.

>From out of the East a stranger came, a law book in his hand, a man
The kind of a man the West would need to tame a troubled land
'cause the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood
When it came to shootin' straight and fast---he was mighty good.

Many a man would face his gun and many a man would fall
The man who shot Liberty Valance, he shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all.

The love of a girl can make a man stay on when he should go, stay on
Just tryin' to build a peaceful life where love is free to grow
But the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood
When the final showdown came at last, a law book was no good.

Alone and afraid she prayed that he'd return that fateful night, aww that night
When nothin' she said could keep her man from goin' out to fight
>From the moment a girl gets to be full-grown the very first thing she learns
When two men go out to face each other only one retur-r-r-ns

Everyone heard two shots ring out, a shot made Liberty fall
The man who shot Liberty Valance, he shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all.

The man who shot Liberty Valance, he shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all.

Comments/Interpretations
by Preston Pena on 6/5/2008 2:40pm A terrific ballad , put to song , about a fictional account of a legendary confrontation between good and evil in the Old West . The lyrics are superbly descriptive and the melody hauntingly memorable . A standard that will stand the test of time .
by Annie sue on 7/12/2008 11:21pm Great only tho in teh moive the man who show liberty valance john wyanes person did not jimmy stewart so it should have a verse doing Soon we found out that he did't shoot him it was whoever johnwyane played so the eastman was not the braverst of them all it was whoever john wyane played. but overalll pretty good
by JOE WALLBANK on 8/10/2008 1:05am I THINK THIS SONG WAS SO GOOD I HAD A SCREAMING HOT ORGASM IN MY DOGS FOOD BOWL
by Patricia Gwatkin-Higson on 11/3/2008 10:20pm I'm doing this song is a year six play and, when ever I hear it, it get's stuck in my head for days after!
by Chris on 12/4/2008 11:04am My parents had this song on 8-Track when I was a kid. I used to make them play it all the time in 70's. Still a great song and lots of fun to listen to.
by Charlz on 12/19/2008 8:03pm This song is more addictive than crystal meth mixed with heroin and crack spread on Lays potato chips and soaked in habit-forming sleep aides.
by therese lentz on 1/11/2009 11:36am hey you guys, in the last chorus, you wrote "a shot may made Liberty fall". It's "what" shot, not 'a' shot. the point of the movie is that everyone thinks jimmy stewart's character shot LV. that's why he gets the girl, the government appointment, full and complete happiness except that he knows it's john wayne's character that kills LV. sooo, "everyone heard TWO shots ring out, WHAT shot made Liberty fall?" It's a question. thanks for reading.
by Doug Weirich on 1/27/2009 9:00am I'm glad to see the last writer got the point of the whole story behind the song. Jimmy Stewart's character was mighty brave for standing up to LV; but his life (and his whole future) depended on the "real shot that killed LV." It's a great story and a great song as well.
by Rusty Sunshine on 3/14/2009 2:50pm The way I see it, we had two examples of courage here. Each man was out of his comfort zone. The lawyer picked up a gun because no-one else would and risked losing his life. The gunman hid in the shadows and didn't seek attention for himself; he had made it a point not to borrow someone else's trouble, but this time he got involved and eliminated a varmit. And for that he lost the centerpiece of his life. And we are left to understand that he was privately enraged about his loss, but never breathed a word to anyone. This was the lawyer's fight, not the shooter's. The shooter could have kept what he wanted most, and he lost it to another man for doing the right thing. One lesson I took from this is the cost of decency. Life's not fair, and decency isn't cheap.
by Darius on 5/14/2009 8:28pm Kudos on a fine analysis Rusty. I like this song so much I'm adding it to my repertoire.
by Ron Phoenix on 5/25/2009 4:24pm This song is one of the all time best Western Ballads. Few know that the song is NOT from the movie soundtrack. It was released after the John Ford's movie was completed. Too bad Ford couldn't have incorporated into the film later. The song and the movie examine 2 opposites that, in reflection, share a common virtue, namely courage in the face of evil, each risking what he values most (the rule of law & a man's love for a woman).
by Marsha in Indiana on 7/31/2009 1:33pm How can you lose? John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin, and a Gene Pitney song! Love it!! The cruel and dark Liberty, the sad and dark Tom, the mild and optimistic Ransom, and the "prickly" cactus flower, Hallie. What a character study! This song is so superb--Gene had to love this movie as a vehicle for his melody and lyrics about two guys who are destined to fight it out, and the inevitable love between Hallie and Ranson. Too bad Gene's song never made it into the movie. I have it on my iPod, so it's all good!
by Duane M. Peterson on 8/16/2009 2:23pm I love the song and the movie. John Wayne is my hero. The best line in the film was "Try it Liberty. Just Try it." The music in the ballad is damn good, I can hear both the music and the lyrics in my head.
by Kurt in New Jersey on 10/16/2009 10:21am I have a great respect for the Ford Westerns and always thought this movie didn't get a fair shake by the critics. It's a classic good vs evil, and the song, although slightly different from the theme of the story line is hauntingly mystical. "That was my steak Valance" is my favorite line.

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