There was justice in his sixgun there was magic in his name
And I always tried to be him when we played our cwboy games
I stood in line to see him ride across our small town screen
And in my mind's eye I rode with him in every scene
And he would ride off in the sunset with that friendly western smile
Ride off in the sunset no goodbyes just so long for awhile

I saw him on a talk show not too many years ago
His voice was kinda shaky and his hair was white as snow
He didn't say goodnight folks just waved his hat up in the air
And I told my young son that's my childhood hero there
He would ride off in the sunset...

I read the evening paper out in my backyard yesterday
It said that he lay dyin' in a rest home in LA
I looked out toward the sunset and I saw a golden screen
And I swear I saw him as he played out his final scene
I saw him ride off in the sunset...