We set out for the border, in the dead hours of the night,
With 50 tons of TNT, we were ready for a fight.
There was Rolling Thunder, Texas Pete, and me in Dixie Belle,
We were heading for a truck stop that was called The Gates of Hell.

The owner was a Yankee, and he lived outside the law,
From the state of Indiana – but they called him ‘Arkansas’.
He was wanted right across the South, for too many things to tell,
So he moved on down to Mexico, and built The Gates of Hell.

We were out there on a mission, Rolling Thunder was to blame,
He’d fallen for this ‘princess’, who was also on the game.
He’d met the girl in Jackson, and he called her Gabrielle,
But now his chick was turning tricks, inside The Gates of Hell!

Yeah, Gabrielle was helping Arkansas to pay the rent,
And Arkansas would not forgo the money he had spent.
Cos Arkansas had paid ten thousand for young Gabrielle,
And he aimed to make a profit with her, in The Gates of Hell.

CHORUS

We rolled into that cesspool, down on Route 6-66,
Arkansas was waiting, but we were ready for his tricks.
We walked into the bar and called for Rolling Thunder’s girl,
And they knew the end had finally come, inside The Gates of Hell.

There’s Arkansas behind the bar with Gabby by his side,
He held a 12-Gauge shotgun and it was has joy and pride.
He levelled it right at us, and as far as I could tell,
It was Arky’s way of saying, ‘Welcome to The Gates of Hell.’

So we opened up our jackets, and it was a sight to see,
Cos Rolling Thunder and myself were packing TNT.
Nobody moved a finger – you could hear the silence well,
Then you should’ve seen them scatter, boys, inside The Gates of Hell.

Texas Pete took Gabby and they headed for the door,
While me and Rolling Thunder both got ready for the war.
We took our packs of TNT and blew that place to – well…
Let’s say those good ol’ boys will never leave The Gates of Hell!