There was justice in his sixgun
There was magic in his name
And I always tried to be him
When we played our cowboy 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
With that friendly western smile
Ride off in the sunset
No goodbyes, just so long for awhile.

I read the evening paper
Out in my backyard yesterday
It said that he lay dyin'
In a rest home in L.A.

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
With that friendly western smile
Ride off in the sunset
No goodbyes, just so long for awhile...