#--------------------------------------------------------------# PANCHO AND LEFTY Townes Van Zandt Copyright © 1973 EMI U CATALOG INC, Performing rights w/ASCAP http://www.ascap.com/ace/ACE.html #-------------------------PLEASE NOTE--------------------------# #This file is an interpretation of Townes' work, and does not # #necessarily represent the actual way he recorded or performed # #the song, and is not intended to be used for any purpose other# #than for private study, scholarship, or research # #--------------------------------------------------------------# -------------------------------------------------------------- Submitted by Neal, updated lyrics by Tom & chords by stevefnp2 -------------------------------------------------------------- C Living on the road my friend G7 Was gonna keep you free and clean F Now you wear your skin like iron C G7 Your breath's as hard as kerosene F You weren't your momma's only boy C F But her favorite one it seems Am F G She began to cry when you said goodbye F Am And sank into your dreams Pancho was a bandit boys His horse was fast as polished steel 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 No one heard his dying words That's the way it goes F All the Federales say C F They could have had him any day C Dm They only let him hang around F Am 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 [Ah] There ain't nobody knows. [Well] The poets tell how Pancho fell Lefty's livin' in a cheap hotel The desert's quiet and Cleveland's cold So the story ends we're told Pancho needs your prayers it's true, But save a few for Lefty too He just did what he had to do [Ah] Now he's growin' old A few gray federales say They could have had him any day They only let him go so wrong Out of kindness I suppose A few gray federales say They could have had him any day They only let him go so wrong Out of kindness I suppose ----------------------------------------------------- Submitted by Denny, adjustments to lyrics by Tom ----------------------------------------------------- Here's one of my favorite ballads which was written by the inimitable Townes Van Zandt. Emmylou Harris recorded it, as did Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard in a duet (don't ask me why). I first heard it in a coffeehouse at RPI (remember coffeehouses, where people went to hear good music, not get drunk) by Robin and Linda Williams, of later Prairie Home Companion fame. I play this with a D, C#, B bass run transition from the D chord to whatever follows. I've indicated this with the following chord notation. D x00232 D/C# x40232 D4/B(?) x20032 I also lead into the verse with e+-----------2-- b+--2--3--5----- g+-------------- then picking out of the D chord, etc. d+-----------0-- a+--0--2--4----- e+-------------- Livin' on the road, my friend..... which is nice for many songs played in D. Enjoy, Denny Straussfogel Pancho and Lefty by Townes Van Zandt D Living on the road, my friend A Was gonna keep us free and clean G But now you wear your skin like iron D D/C# D4/B A Your breath's as hard as kerosene G You weren't your mama's only boy D D/C# D4/B But her favorite one it seems D She began to cry D/C# D4/B A A7 When you said good bye G Bm And sank into your dreams (same chords as first verse) Pancho was a bandit boys His horse was fast as polished steel Wore his guns outside his pants For all the honest world to feel Pancho met his match you know On the deserts down in Mexico No one heard his dying words That's the way it goes Chorus (words change slightly, each time) G And all the federales say D D/C# D4/B They could have had him any day D D/C# D4/B A A7 They only let him slip away G Bm 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 old Pancho low Lefty split for Ohio Where he got the bread to go [Ah] there ain't nobody knows All the federales say They could of had him any day They only let him slip away Out of kindness I suppose [Well] poets sing how Pancho fell Lefty's livin' in a cheap hotel The desert's quiet and 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 [Ah] Now he's growin' old All the federales say They could of had him any day They only let him go so long Out of kindness I suppose A few gray federales say They could of had him any day They only let him go so wrong Out of kindness I suppose ---------------- orig chords for this line: C Dm She began to cry when you said goodbye #--------------------------------------------------------------#