Although the time period is not made clear in the song, a reference to a Winchester rifle suggest the account takes place in the late 19th or early 20th century. Also, though the song describes a town called Sonora, it is difficult to say whether the writer had a specific location in mind. Sonora is actually a Mexican State that accounts for a long stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S. states of Arizona and New Mexico. Regarding his inspiration, Farrell himself has said: "I just envisioned a guy, saddling up his horse, riding off with his pals off the ranch, going into town just to blow off some steam on a Saturday night and winding up living a nightmare."Songwriter’s art mimics life – and vice versa (accessed Sept. 13, 2006 from realcountrymusic.org ), story about Kevin Farrell by Brooke Bryant, originally published in the Contra Costa Times, January, 2006, and accessed June 8, 2006 here.
