The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Gene Pitney

About The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a 2014 Western stage play by Jethro Compton based on the 1953 short story of the same name by Dorothy M. Johnson, which also became the basis for the 1962 Paramount Pictures film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, directed by John Ford, starring James Stewart and John Wayne, with the song performed by Gene Pitney. The play is billed as "classic story of good versus evil, law versus the gun, one man versus Liberty Valance. A tale of love, hope and revenge set against the vicious backdrop of a lawless society".  


Year:
2006
68 
#2

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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 shooting 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 shooting 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 trying 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, oh that night
When nothing she said could keep her man
From going 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 returns

Everyone heard two shots ring out
The shot made Liberty fall
The man who shot Liberty Valence
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

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Gene Pitney

Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the British Invasion. more »

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Written by: BURT F. BACHARACH, HAL DAVID

Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Artist Background
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" was performed by Gene Pitney, an American singer-songwriter, famous for his distinctive voice and his compositions for well-known pop groups like The Crystals and The Shangri-Las.
Song Release
The song was released as a single by Gene Pitney in 1962. Though it was not featured on an album until a 1991 compilation album, "Liberty Valance" still rose to No.4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1962.
Movie Connection
Despite being directly named for the Western film, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," starring John Wayne and James Stewart, the song was not included in the film. The film’s director, John Ford, reportedly did not want a song.
Songwriters
The song was written by the highly successful songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, who were prolific hitmakers throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
Lyrics
The lyrics depict a fictitious story where the character who received credit for shooting the villainous Liberty Valance did not actually pull the trigger. This artfully echoes the storyline twist of the movie.
Chart Success
After its release, the song peaked at No.4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also found success abroad, peaking at No.2 on the U.K. Singles Chart and No.1 on the Swedish chart.
Accolades
In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked this song at No.249 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”
Cover Versions
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" was later covered by artists including James Taylor for an album of covers in 2009, and it was parodied by The Barron Knights from their 1983 album "Night Gallery".
Theme
The song, like the film, explores themes of heroism, sacrifice, and the concept of truth versus myth in shaping public perception and history.
Style
The song exemplifies Gene Pitney's powerful, dramatic style of singing, and it also marked the early stage of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's songwriting partnership's move into more film-driven pieces.

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