Tuning:

Pancho and Lefty by Townes van Zandt

^D Living on the road my friend, ^A Was gonna keep you free and clean But ^Gnow you wear your skin like iron, your ^Dbreath as hard as ^Akerosene ^G You weren't your mama's only boy, but her ^Dfavorite one it ^Gseems ^Bm She began to cry when you said good^Abye, and ^Gsank into your dreams^Bm

^D Pancho was a bandit boy, ^A His horse was fast as polished steel He ^Gwore his gun outside his pants for all the ^Dhonest world to ^Afeel ^G Pancho met his match you know, on the ^Ddeserts down in ^GMexico, ^Bm Nobody heard his dying ^Awords, but ^Gthat's the way it goes^Bm

(Chorus)

^G All the Federales say ^D They could have had him ^Gany day ^Bm They only let him slip ^Aaway Out of ^Gkindness, I suppose^Bm

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 (Chorus) 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 (Chorus) A few gray Federales say We could have had him any day We only let him go so long Out of kindness, I suppose

Townes van Zandt - Pancho and lefty