Story Behind The Song

The music was actually inspired by "Regatta de Blanc" by the Police. I turned the beat around a little bit.

Song Description

"Stand Up" involves two hotshot outlaws out to make their mark. The telling of their story suggests we take responsibility for our actions and choices, regardless of how ignoble those actions might be.

Lyrics

Badlands/Stand Up Cowboy

with our .45s burning in our hands
we rode for broke through the mountain lands
to stake a claim
and as the sunlight scorched our bodies brown
we swore to heaven up and down
they?d learn our names
and our guns someday
we was sure to get our way

stand up, cowboy, stand up stand up
stand up, cowboy, stand up stand up

about a fortnight?s ride out of Santa Fe
billy boy and me, we shot a Holiday
we raised some hell (we sure did)
yeah, we stuffed and stoved ?em in stone blind
and swept away their pretty womenkind
now they?ll never tell
lies don?t get around when you?re lyin? six feet down?

stand up, cowboy, stand up stand up
stand up, cowboy, stand up stand up

Billy, you?re drunk, you just emptied out your gun
now for the first time I think we gotta run
c?mon, Billy man, what you done to me?
we?re deep in trouble boy and NOW you wanna know
?can it be can it be can it be?
oh yeah, oh yeah, stand up stand up

it was deep in the night, when the good folks pray
we was cashing in the chips
when they caught up with us
my buddy turned and he said out loud
that he was sorry, that he was proud
to have been a part of this
and then he stood and he yelled ?you have me, boys
I took my stand, I made some noise
I lived and I died by my own choice??

stand up, cowboy, stand up stand up
stand up, cowboy, stand up stand up


music and lyrics by George Wallace
published by Celestial Songs/EMI Music Inc. (ASCAP)