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My name is Jim Murphy, won't you buy me a whiskey for I've 
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 a sad story to tell 
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About a young man who delivered his companions straight to those fiery gates of  
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Hell Just to save himself from a prison cell 
 
I first met Sam Bass way up in Denton County and at the age of twenty-five 
He had more gold than the price of his bounty and I was struggling to survive 
So I hired on to ride 
 
The first job that we pulled was at the Allen station, next job we pulled was in Mesquite 
But the money that I made didn't meet my expectations so I decided I'd leave 
I didn't know my past would follow me 
 
I was sound asleep at my daddy's in Decatur when those rangers busted in 
They put us both in chains and they hauled us off to Tyler, and when that district court commenced 
No one came to speak in our defense 
After six months in prison I asked to see Judge Evans, I told the judge about my plan 
He agreed to set me free and reduce my daddy's sentence if I could lead the rangers to their man 
They were desperate to catch my old friend, Sam 
 
It was the middle of July when we road into Round Rock, Sam Bass, two others and me 
I hitched my horse over at the blacksmith shop as they continued up the street 
Unaware of the fate that they would meet 
The sheriff saw the three men as they entered the county store, he decided to inquire 
He caught three bullets in the chest, and before his body hit the floor, those three men were back outside 
And that's when those rangers opened fire 
The first round of bullets knocked old Barnes off his feet, Sam somehow made it to his horse 
Then he and Frank Jackson rode right past me, and Sam looked just like a corpse And I hung my head in remorse 
 
My name is Jim Murphy, won't you buy me a whiskey, and I'll tell you how this story ends 
And if it's not too much trouble won't you make it a double, 'cause whiskey is the only friend 
To a man with blood on his hands 
Now the rangers caught Sam Bass and he died in their custody in a Round Rock jail cell 
And just before he died the rangers all heard him say, 'Jim Murphy, take good care of yourself'. 
And we'll settle this score way down in Hell'