Pancho And Lefty
Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was gonna keep you free and clean
And now you wear your skin like iron
And your breath as hard as kerosene
Weren't your mama's only boy
But her favorite one it seems
She began to cry when you said goodbye
Pancho was a bandit boy
His horse was fast as polished steel
He wore his gun outside his pants
For all the honest world to feel
Pancho met his match you know
On the deserts down in Mexico
Nobody heard his dying words
Ah but that's the way it goes
All the Federales say
They could have had him any day
They only let him slip away
Out of kindness, I suppose
Lefty, he can't sing the blues
All night long like he used to
The dust that Pancho bit down south
Ended up in Lefty's mouth
The day they laid poor Pancho low
Lefty split for Ohio
Where he got the bread to go
There ain't nobody knows
All the Federales say
They could have had him any day
We only let him slip away
Out of kindness, I suppose
The poets tell how Pancho fell
And Lefty's living in cheap hotels
The desert's quiet, Cleveland's cold
And so the story ends we're told
Pancho needs your prayers it's true
But save a few for Lefty too
He only did what he had to do
And now he's growing old
All the Federales say
We could have had him any day
We only let him go so long
Out of kindness, I suppose
A few gray Federales say
We could have had him any day
We only let him go so long
Out of kindness, I suppose
The song "Pancho and Lefty" is a ballad of a couple of friends, Pancho and Lefty,who live outside the law. The song is a story about betrayal, survival, and the consequences of a life of crime. The song is sung from the perspective of a narrator who tells the story of Pancho and Lefty. The singer describes how Pancho was a bandit boy who rode his horse across the deserts of Mexico. He was always armed, and everyone knew it. However, one day, Pancho met his match and got killed in a gunfight. No one heard his dying words, but that's how it goes. Meanwhile, Lefty can't sing the blues like he used to because the dust of the shootout that killed Pancho ended up in his mouth. After Pancho's death, Lefty fled to Ohio, where he went into hiding. Although they say they could have had him any day, the Federales let him escape out of kindness.
The last part of the song is a plea to save a few prayers for Lefty, who only did what he had to do. He's now growing old, and he's on his last leg. The Federales could have had him any day, but they let him wander around for a while out of kindness. The song's narrator concludes by saying that the poets tell how Pancho fell and Lefty went into hiding. The desert is quiet, Cleveland is cold, and that concludes the story.
Line by Line Meaning
Living on the road my friend
Living a nomadic life, constantly on the move
Was gonna keep you free and clean
Living on the road was supposed to provide freedom and a clean slate
And now you wear your skin like iron
Traveling and hardship have made you tough and unyielding
And your breath as hard as kerosene
Your life has taken a toll on your health and well-being
Weren't your mama's only boy
You have siblings
But her favorite one it seems
You were your mother's favored child
She began to cry when you said goodbye
Your mother was sad when you left home
And sank into your dreams
She retreated into her thoughts and feelings
Pancho was a bandit boy
Pancho was an outlaw
His horse was fast as polished steel
Pancho's horse was surprisingly speedy
He wore his gun outside his pants
Pancho outwardly displayed his weapon
For all the honest world to feel
Pancho's actions were very visible and public
Pancho met his match you know
Pancho encountered someone equally matched with him
On the deserts down in Mexico
The encounter took place in the desert of Mexico
Nobody heard his dying words
Pancho died alone without anyone to hear his final words
Ah but that's the way it goes
You can't control the outcomes of certain events
All the Federales say
The federal agents claim
They could have had him any day
They could have caught Pancho anytime
They only let him slip away
They allowed Pancho to evade them
Out of kindness, I suppose
They let Pancho go for reasons of mercy or pity
Lefty, he can't sing the blues
Lefty is unable to express his emotions well
All night long like he used to
Lefty used to be able to sing the blues all night long
The dust that Pancho bit down south
Pancho's actions and consequences affected everyone in the region
Ended up in Lefty's mouth
Lefty was a witness to Pancho's demise
The day they laid poor Pancho low
The day of Pancho's death
Lefty split for Ohio
Lefty fled to Ohio
Where he got the bread to go
Where Lefty received the means to travel to Ohio is unknown
There ain't nobody knows
No one knows for sure
The poets tell how Pancho fell
The poets recount Pancho's downfall
And Lefty's living in cheap hotels
Lefty is now living in cheap accommodations
The desert's quiet, Cleveland's cold
The contrast between the peaceful desert and the cold city of Cleveland
And so the story ends we're told
The story has come to its conclusion
Pancho needs your prayers it's true
Pancho is in need of prayers
But save a few for Lefty too
Lefty deserves some compassion and mercy as well
He only did what he had to do
Lefty acted according to the circumstances
And now he's growing old
Lefty is getting older
We could have had him any day
The authorities could have caught Lefty anytime
We only let him go so long
They allowed Lefty to escape for an extended period of time
Out of kindness, I suppose
They didn't pursue Lefty with the same intensity as they did with Pancho
A few gray Federales say
Senior officers express their opinion
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Townes Van Zandt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@humbertohernandez3067
All these classics are fading away , just like I am . I guess that's the way it is . I'm glad to take them with me.
@lethalchase1065
19 from Oklahoma will play this song all my life
@annoyedbrox4851
@@lethalchase1065 16, from India of all places, I love this song, country music and the open air, these classics are timeless and won't go nowhere.
@travismiles5885
Nah bro, if it's good the younger generations pick up on it. I dont know how old you are but I'm almost 50 and a die hard metal head 🤘🏻 I grew up with my older family members playing this kind of stuff and I was just to angsty and full of youthful defiance to listen to "old people music." Now that I've lived long enough to experience life I get this music. It takes a long time for an acorn to grow into a mighty oak. I still love my head banger stuff but Waylon Willie, Johnny and the rest are right there next to them in my playlists, keeping company with all the great classic rockers from the 60s and 70s. Cream rises to the top. Dont fret you're leaving it in good hands. Thank you for keeping it alive, we found it because of cats like you. Take that with you and leave the music so we can pay it forward.
@jbmusic4095
@@lethalchase1065 lets fucking go brother, forever. keep it real and honour our ancestors
@peytonledbetter6007
Making it my mission to instill these masterpieces in my kids when I have some. A piece of you will live on with that.
@CashHigbie
This was my dads favorite song but he died from a terrible car crash so now every time I hear this song I cry
@txsurfnturf
My condolences and prayers go out to you and your family. From Texas.
@CashHigbie
@@txsurfnturf no we from Kansas
@jimjones9220
Prayers for you and your dad.