Lyr ADD: Joe Lopez

Subject: Joe Lopez
From:
Date: 10 Jul 02 - 09:51 PM

I remember an old country song called Joe Lopez. It started out

"In the country just outside of ----- was a plain called the Edwards plateau.
It was there I first heard this sad story of an old Mexicano named Joe.
He spoke of his true love ------ his sweetheart, his darling Inez.
His name was --- ---- ----?"

I know the tune by heart, but have lost track of the words. I would appreciate any help on this. Thanks, Brian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From: Sorcha
Date: 11 Jul 02 - 10:44 AM

No luck with Cowpie or Google...........

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From:
Date: 11 Jul 02 - 10:34 PM

I've heard of this song but I can't seem to find it on any of my lyric servers either...Keep trying and good luck!!...Donna

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 12 Jul 02 - 12:04 AM

Have an LP with it by Jim Reeves, I think???? ...

forget who ... at the moment ... have to dig it out ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From:
Date: 12 Jul 02 - 11:16 AM

Hi Gene...I had an old double album with various songs by different artists, and this song was one of them..I can't remember who sang it, but I liked the song..Well to make a long story short, I sold all my old LP's a few years back and my special LP got in the wrong box. Thanks in advance for your interest and I hope you find the record!!..Brian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From: masato sakurai
Date: 12 Jul 02 - 10:36 PM

The song seems to be "Jose Villa Lobo Alfredo Thomasa Vincente Lopez" sung by Rex Allen. Info is HERE.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From:
Date: 13 Jul 02 - 02:03 AM

Hi Masato....You have the right song, but I've spent 2 hours looking thru google under Rex Allen and found no sign of the song, either lyrics, CD's or cassetts...And the lyrics are what I really want! Thanks for the inf., I am getting closer!.....Brian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From: masato sakurai
Date: 13 Jul 02 - 02:30 AM

Brian, I've found a recording of "Joe Lopez" sung by Leon Payne at The Recorded Lady's All-Time Country Favorites site (Click on "Real Country Page 19"). The direct link to the RealPlayer recording is THIS. Enjoy!

~Masato

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLLleSPrtgY

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 15 Jul 02 - 12:40 AM

Thanks for the Reminder...~Masato

I had downloaded the RA file on hard drive....
quite some time ago AND I DO HAVE A a version by
REX ALLEN....but is on an REEL TO REEL and when
I copied off the songs to computer HD...
being interested only in traditional C/W songs at
that particular moment, i omitted that one....

here are a few other REX ALLEN songs

Moonshine Steer
Tyin' Knots In The Devil's Tail
Windy Bill
Little Joe The Wrangler
When The Work's All Done This Fall
Droop Ears
Streets Of Laredo
The Fireman Cowboy
Braggin' Drunk From Wilcox
Gone Girl
Catfish John
You Never Did Give Up On Me
Just Call Me Lonesome
Today I Started Loving You Again
Reflex Reaction

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 02:34 PM

Guest Brian: If you're going to transcribe the song anyway, please post it here.

Subject: ADD:Jose Villa Lobo Alfredo Thomaso Vincente Lopez
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Jan 12 - 02:19 PM

Here's my transcription from the recording on YouTube:


JOSE VILLA LOBO ALFREDO THOMASO VINCENTE LOPEZ
As sung by Rex Allen (1968)

Oh, his name was José Villa Lobo Alfredo Thomaso Vincente Lopez.

In the country just southwest of Llano, there's a plain called the Edwards Plateau.
It was there I first heard this sad story from an old Mexicano named Joe.
He told of his three sons and grandson, his sweetheart, his darling Inés.
Oh, his name was José Villa Lobo Alfredo Thomaso Vincente Lopez.

[SPOKEN:]
"I was born right here on this llano, this plain, señor, in the year 1810.
I helped Houston whip Santa Anna; I'm one Tejano, a Texan, no? Muy bien.
We drove away los indios, the Indians, and built this rancho, and he goes much farther than you can see.
And ay, señor, we were so happy, my three sons, mi carita Inés, and me.

Then the men of the north and the men of the south had what-you-call this Civil War,
And me and my three sons go to Virginia to fight, though I never did knew quite why for.
Thomas fought with Stonewall Jackson; mi general was Roberto E. Lee.
But ay, señor, we were so unhappy, my three sons, mi carita Inés, and me.

Thomaso, my youngest, was killed in two weeks in the battle at Bull Run.
I will always be grateful to General Lee, for he brought the padre to my son.
Alfredo was killed at Vicksburg; at Gettysburg, Vincente, the last of my joys.
That is the reason my name is so long; I have added the names of my boys.

And when I got home, los cabritos, carpetbaggers, laugh at me like I was a clown.
They had driven from home my wife and grandson, and burned my hacienda to the ground.
I finally found them at the farm of some friends of mine, named Alvarez,
And El Dios, the Good God, let her die in my arms, mi carita, mi alma, Inés.

I swore on the head of my grandson, señor, for this terrible thing they would die.
Look over there on that knoll; those graves are the ranchos they now occupy.
The sheriff has to kill me, señor; I will not die by the rope, not in shame.
Will you promise to take care of Juanito, señor? Someone must carry on my good name."

[SUNG:]
Oh, his name was José Villa Lobo Alfredo Thomaso Vincente Lopez.

Just as I made him my promise, the sheriff fired that fatal shot.
With a smile as though he'd just seen heaven, Joe Lopez fell dead on the spot.
He's up there with Al, Tom, and Vincent, in the arms of his darling Inés.
His name was José Villa Lobo Alfredo Thomaso Vincente Lopez.

Oh, his name was José Villa Lobo Alfredo Thomaso Vincente Lopez.

* * *
I have kept the spelling "Vincente" because that's how it appears in the song title; however, "Vicente" is the more usual spelling of the given name in Spanish. Also, "Tomás" is the usual spelling rather than "Thomaso." I have not found any instance of "Villa Lobo" as a given name, although "Villalobos" is a common family name. Maybe Lopez, living in Texas, anglicized his children's names somewhat?

It seems to me that José Lopez's name doesn't follow normal naming conventions. I would expect his name would have been originally José Villalobos Lopez, and then, after adding his sons' names, it should have become José Alfredo Tomás Vicente Villalobos Lopez. I assume the order of the sons' names is arbitrary, but given names should come before a family name, shouldn't they?

I'm not sure of the word "carita." My research shows it means "face." Is it also a term of endearment?

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op27KKkc98Y

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From: GUEST,Mordecai Jones
Date: 09 Jul 13 - 04:00 PM

Thanks for the help. I looked for this on Youtube, but could not find it. So I tried searching online generally and found your site. I went back to Youtube and tried the name as you had it here, "Jose Villa Lobo Alfredo Thomasa Vincente Lopez" but had to change it to Thomaso (I see now that you have that spelling in the song) and then it found it OK. Youtube is usually darn good at searching, but I guess sometimes it can't find similar spelling, needs to have an exact match for what it has stored.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Jul 13 - 11:05 PM

You also could have clicked the link at the top of my message.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From: GUEST,+Lee B. Strickland
Date: 22 Mar 16 - 03:25 AM

I started out on first line of youtube with the first line of the song. I had thought about it for years but could not remember who did it.   I am so happy to connect with it again. I grew up close to where Pancho Villa raided.    I did not connect with Villa Lobos but as you said the whole name.   I have a lot of LP's and I know I have the Rex Allen one but Joe Lopez may be on 45. I need to did them out again and listen to them.      Thanks so very much.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Joe Lopez
From: GUEST,Stephen Gleitz
Date: 04 Apr 23 - 10:09 AM

His name was Jose Villa Lobo Alfredo Thomaso Vincinte Lopez!