I agree, FFL. And here's another lyric I'm curious about. It has the extra complication of being different from another version:
Song: Doolin-Dalton
Lyrics: 'Til your shadow sets you free
Now, the context is:
Better keep on movin', Doolin-Dalton
'Til your shadow sets you free
If you're fast, and if you're lucky
You will never see that hangin' tree
(full song lyrics
here)
But when JD Souther, a co-writer, sings the line he says:
"'Til your killers set you free"
So, do you think "shadow" is just a synonym for "killer" in the sense that the law/bounty hunter is "shadowing" them and will eventually kill them? Or is there an extra nuance in the changed word? I'd love to hear some thoughts on it, as I think it's an intriguing line. There are a couple other differences, too, which we can also talk about - for instance, JD says "runnin'" instead of "movin'" in the above context.