The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Gene Pitney
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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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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.
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Song ReleaseThe 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.
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Movie ConnectionDespite 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.
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SongwritersThe song was written by the highly successful songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, who were prolific hitmakers throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
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LyricsThe 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.
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Chart SuccessAfter 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.
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AccoladesIn 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked this song at No.249 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”
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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".
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ThemeThe song, like the film, explores themes of heroism, sacrifice, and the concept of truth versus myth in shaping public perception and history.
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StyleThe 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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Citation
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"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Sep. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/9847141/Gene+Pitney/The+Man+Who+Shot+Liberty+Valance>.
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