Can you guess the missing lyrics in the Bat Masterson theme song?

What kind of hat did he wear again?

Image: Everett Collection

Bat Masterson was a beloved western that aired on NBC from 1958 to 1961. Gene Barry played the titular character — a suave, well-dressed gambler who traveled the west catching bad guys and flirting with beautiful women.

An outlaw thought he had it made whenever he took Bat’s gun but Bat was always one step ahead. Soon or later that outlaw always found himself meeting the business end of Bat’s cane!

One of the most remembered parts of the show is the catchy theme song that played at the beginning and end of every episode. It was sung by Bill Lee, a member of the popular barbershop quartet the Mellomen.

Take the quiz below to see if you can guess which lyrics are missing!

  1. Back when the west was very _______
  2. There lived a ______ named Masterson
  3. He wore a cane and ______ hat
  4. They called him ______, Bat Masterson
  5. A man of _____ the stories say
  6. But ______ eyes all glanced his way
  7. A gambler's game he ______ won
  8. His _____ was Bat, Bat Masterson
  9. The trail that he ______ is still there
  10. No one has come since, to ______ his name
  11. And those with too ready a ______
  12. Forgot to figure on his ______ cane
  13. Now in the ______ of the west
  14. One ______ stands out o'er all the rest
  15. The man who had the ______ gun
  16. His name was Bat, ______ Masterson

Can you guess the missing lyrics in the Bat Masterson theme song?

Your Result...

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25 Comments

Maurio229 38 months ago
15/16
Can we get it back on Saturdays? I had my weekend alarm setup for it. 😁
Angela 49 months ago
16/16. I don't know if I'm happy or alarmed about that.
booster 49 months ago
16/16 Now it really is stuck in my head. I was whistling it as I went along.
JC 49 months ago
You got 15 out of 16
Great job! Is it stuck in your head now?
😃😃😃
bnichols23 49 months ago
Aw, c'mon. Granted, I loved the show & even had a BM cane, but is this really just a freebie or wut? }:)
MrsPhilHarris 49 months ago
13/16. Pretty good considering they were all guesses.
MaryAnn MrsPhilHarris 49 months ago
VERY good! I only got 12, all total guesses.
Jeremy 49 months ago
I only missed three questions and I've never even heard of this song.
bnichols23 Jeremy 49 months ago
You didn't miss much. [evil grin] But if you had a western back then you hadda have a song.
Jeremy bnichols23 49 months ago
After this quiz, I listened to this song for the very first time. No comment. That's no indication as to whether I thought the song was bad or not. I just simply have nothing to say about it. I don't normally watch Westerns. I'm not really a "Western" kind of guy. I respect the heck out of them but I don't watch them.
DK 49 months ago
15/16. Several lucky guesses.
Moonchildiva51 49 months ago
I think it's the WORST western theme of ALL -- and yet, I knew all the lyrics, LOL.
Runeshaper 49 months ago
You got 13 out of 16
Great job! Is it stuck in your head now?

Great song! Great show! :)
teire 49 months ago
Missed two. Altho I know it, for some reason I can’t get the tune itself into my head!
bnichols23 teire 49 months ago
You're lucky. Now *I* can't get it out! }:)
cperrynaples 50 months ago
13/16! And I don't even watch it!
kathyo 50 months ago
12 out 16... i just watched him this weekend.... a lot of them i second guessed
Runeshaper kathyo 49 months ago
you did pretty good for second guessing! :)
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