In the 1980s Russell made four albums credited to the Tom Russell Band. These featured Andrew Hardin and accordionist Fats Kaplin.
In the 1990s Russell made a number of solo albums, collaborated with blues singer Barrence Whitfield on two albums, and also recorded an acoustic album mixing original material with his favorite cowboy-themed songs. His albums include several guest appearances from other folk, country, and Americana artists, such as Chris Gaffney and Dave Alvin. His song "Outbound Plane", co-written with Nanci Griffith, became a Top Ten country hit for Suzy Bogguss. His most significant album from this period is the 1999 folk opera, The Man From God Knows Where.
His more recent albums include "Blood and Candle Smoke" (2009) and "Mesabi" (2011).
The Eyes of Roberto Duran
Tom Russell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I met him once, yeah I shook his hand.
I looked in his eyes and now I understand,
yeah, the love and the anger in the eyes of Roberto Duran.
Has anybody here seen that mexican girl?
She lives up on third street in her own little world.
a saint in the window, and the rosary beads in her hand, yeah, the smile of an angel and the eyes of Roberto Duran.
chorus:
Panama City, it's three in the morning, they're talkin' bout the hands of stone
New York City, lord the suns comin' up
my baby's throwin' everthing she owns
Has anybody here seen the woman I love?
she'll fight down and dirty when push comes to shove, she'll win every round if the fight goes according to plan, with the
smile of an angel and the eyes of Roberto Duran.
solo
repeat chorus (change baby's to lady's)
The lyrics of Tom Russell's song, The Eyes of Roberto Duran, speak of different people who seem to have something in common, which is the intensity that they possess, conveyed through their eyes. The song starts with the singer talking about meeting Roberto Duran himself and shaking his hand. During the handshake and the eye contact, the singer saw both love and anger in Duran's eyes, which are probably the two things that drive him as a fighter. The song then talks about a Mexican girl who lives on Third Street and seems very devout. She holds rosary beads and has a saint in the window, but she also has the same fierce intensity that Duran has, as seen in her eyes. Next, the song speaks of a woman who is tough and who will fight when she has to, with that same deep intensity in her eyes as seen in Duran's eyes.
In essence, the lyrics of the song show that people from all walks of life have that ability to harness inner strength and a fighting spirit, which could be compared to the legendary boxer Roberto Duran, who is known as one of the greatest boxers of all time, with a career spanning over four decades.
Line by Line Meaning
Has anybody here seen Roberto Duran?
Has anyone encountered Roberto Duran, the Panamanian professional boxer?
I met him once, yeah I shook his hand.
I had the opportunity to greet him and shook his hand.
I looked in his eyes and now I understand,
Looking into his eyes provided me with an understanding.
yeah, the love and the anger in the eyes of Roberto Duran.
The eyes of Roberto Duran displayed both love and anger.
Has anybody here seen that mexican girl?
Has anyone come across that Mexican young lady?
She lives up on third street in her own little world.
She resides on 3rd Street within her own world.
a saint in the window, and the rosary beads in her hand, yeah, the smile of an angel and the eyes of Roberto Duran.
She stands, holding rosary beads, a saintly figure in the window, with a smiling angel's face and eyes similar to Roberto Duran.
Panama City, it's three in the morning, they're talkin' bout the hands of stone
In Panama City, at three AM, people discuss the nickname, "hands of stone" that pertains to Roberto Duran.
New York City, lord the suns comin' up
The sun is rising in New York City.
my baby's throwin' everthing she owns
My significant other is discarding all her possessions.
Has anybody here seen the woman I love?
Has anyone seen my beloved partner?
she'll fight down and dirty when push comes to shove, she'll win every round if the fight goes according to plan, with the
When things get rough, she becomes obstinate and determined to win, and she always emerges victorious if things go as planned.
smile of an angel and the eyes of Roberto Duran.
She has a gorgeous smile on her face and eyes similar to Roberto Duran.
repeat chorus (change baby's to lady's)
Repeat the chorus with a change of "baby's" to "lady's".
Contributed by Wyatt V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.