From the recording Man With No Name
This song is written about a character in a movie called High Plains Drifter. It's a pretty dark western, and the song is written about Clint Eastwood's character, who is nameless. I wanted to write about it because the only point of his character was to expose the flaws and underbelly of this town that thought very highly of themselves. I wanted the ending of the song to give the same feeling as the ending of the movie: he rides off into the desert heat, disappearing forever.
-Todd
Lyrics
Don't tell your lies to me now baby, I'm just a heartache Don't tell your lies to me now honey, I've already walked away There's a hole in my chest where my heart should be, I think that it's best you forget about me You want me to save you better give me what you got, I'll tell you right now it ain't a lot I'll paint this town red and welcome you to Hell Preacher here's got no salvation left to sell Think you're burning clean by the faith you seem to claim If anyone asks you why you ran, say THE MAN WITH NO NAME THE MAN WITH NO NAME A ghostly man from the desert heat yeah, I bet you can't even see They say the dead can't rest in unmarked graves, tell me do you think it's me? I'm a man that people fear, even through that I have to endear Because people fear what they fear in themselves, even when they cry for help Shot from the glass, shot from the gun Shot that can't be beat I am the ghost of a man done gone Like the desert heat...I'm gone...I'm gone