From a town known as wheeling, west virginia
Rode a boy with a six-gun in his hand
And his daring life of crime
Made him a legend in his time
East and west of the rio grande
Well, he started with a bank in colorado
In the pocket of his vest, a colt he hid
And his age and his size
Took the teller by surprise
And the word spread of billy the kid
Well, he never traveled heavy
Yes, he always rode alone
And he soon put many older guns to shame
And he never had a sweetheart
And he never had a home
But the cowboy and the rancher knew his name