Living on the road my friend
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
And sank into your dreams
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
[FEDERALES] – – – – – 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
[FEDERALES] – – – – – All the Federales say, they could have had him any day. They 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
[FEDERALES] – – – – – All the Federales say, they could have had him any day. They only let him slip away; 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
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the # #song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. # #------------------------------------------------------------------------------## From: E.Simons@buro.kun.nl Subject: Pancho & Lefty as done by Emmylou Harris PANCHO AND LEFTY (written by Townes Van Zandt) as done by Emmylou Harris on her album Luxury Liner C G Living on the road my friend, is gonna keep you free and clean F Now you wear your skin like iron, C G Your breath as hard as kerosene. F C F You weren't your mama's only boy, but her favorite one it seems C F C G She began to cry when you said goodbye, F Am Am G C And sank into your dreams. C G Pancho was a bandit boys, his horse was fast as polished steel F He wore his gun outside his pants C G For all the honest world to feel. F C F Pancho met his match you know on the deserts down in Mexico C F C G F Am Am G F Nobody heard his dying words, ah but that's the way it goes. F C F All the Federales say they could have had him any day C F C G F Am They only let him slip away out of kindness, I suppose. Am G C C G Lefty, he can't sing the blues all night long like he used to. F C G The dust that Pancho bit down south ended up in Lefty's mouth F C F The day they laid poor Pancho low, Lefty split for Ohio C F C G F Am Where he got the bread to go, there ain't nobody knows Am G F F C F All the Federales say they could have had him any day C F C G F Am Am G C They only let him slip away out of kindness, I suppose. C G Poets tell how Pancho fell, and Lefty's living in a cheap hotel F The desert's quiet and Cleveland's cold, C G And so the story ends we're told F C F Pancho needs your prayers it's true, but save a few for Lefty too C F C G F Am He only did what he had to do, and now he's growing old Am G F F C F All the Federales say they could have had him any day C F C G F Am They only let him slip away out of kindness, I suppose. Am G F F C F A few gray Federales say they could have had him any day C F C G F Am They only let him go so long, out of of kindness, I suppose.