Lyr ADD: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Amos
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 01:41 PM

Mister Mick,

Sir, you do me disservice -- I wasn't leaving your verse out, I was saving it for best and last.

But after Little Hawk's explsion of righteous indignation, it did occur to me to ownder whether or not you would rather be spared altogether.

Howver, if that is not the concern, since you are of deeper, more robust, more bullet-proof character, I will have your verse along shortly, as soon as I do a few corrections to the abbreviated user guide for the SR-60 cable locator.

A

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 02:09 PM

Ha! I simply enjoy playing with you now and then, Amos, as a cat plays with a cruddy old ball of string that he has long played with and has grown accustomed to savaging when he's bored. Having these little feuds and tiffs, these petty little struggles of ego, pretending it all actually matters....hurling carefully crafted verbal broadsides across ancient battlefields positioned on virtually worthless ground that no one really wants. It goes so well with the general zeitgeist around here, don't you think? ;-)

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Amos
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 02:16 PM

Well, I will admit that what you say is well-spoken, considering you have that thumb so far up there.


A

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 02:38 PM

My sexual proclivities are in fact quite different from what you surmise.

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 03:44 PM

He's saying that he doesn't use his thumb, Amos.

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Amos
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 03:56 PM

Oh, I'm sorry, you misunderstood me. I never meant to imply it was sexual.


A

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Amos
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 04:05 PM

Big Mick lives out on the road,
Carrying a heavy load,
Righting wrongs and fighting lies,
And helping workers organize,
But when the load, it gets too great,
Ole Mick doesn't hesitate,
He tunes in to the folkie's page,
And rests his weary eyes.

All the greedy bosses claim
They're smarter than a Big Mick's brain,
And they only give him what he wants,
Out of kindness, I suppose.

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 05:09 PM

Amos-

Nicely done, with regard recognizing Big Mick's contribution!

Now make nice with Little Hawk and all will be forgiven, I'm certain sure.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 05:38 PM

I am sure a rapprochment can be arranged... ;-)

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: catspaw49
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 05:49 PM

Or, if not, at least a reapportionment like where Amos sends us all some money in case his words go platinum...........Tell ya' what Amos, just send me a grand now and we'll call it square; you get all the royalties.

Spaw

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Amos
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 07:01 PM

I welcome forgiveness from all quarters, for all my sins whether real or inagined.



A

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 07:10 PM

You have it! ;-)

Hey, I've just been practicing "Pancho and Lefty" (the real version, I mean) on the keyboard here...sounds good.

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 09:16 PM

After a while one begins to doubt if ANY version is real....

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 09:27 PM

For you lurkers who have been diligently following this discourse, it's time to chime in with your admiration and thanks for this grand and glorious thread. Know that it couldn't have happened without your attention!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: catspaw49
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 09:51 PM

Aw the hell with 'em CN! We trashed the damn thread, not them! And if they're lurkin' they be some sick puppies, I mean like, I got somethin' they can lurk right here!

This song has sent me round the bend
The friggin' thread will never end
I'm still thinkin' in Pancho rhyme
Can't get the tune out of my mind
I hope Amos sends me some dough
I could use a grand, ya' know?
My life's hopeless doncha' see?
Think I'll go take a crap..........

Spaw

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Amos
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 12:36 AM

Now Spaw sits on the outhouse floor
As he's done many times before,
Poor old man, he just feels wrong,
His mind all stuck on Pancho's song.
To ease the ringing in his brain,
He reaches up and pulls the chain,
The song goes round and round again,
And that's the way it goes...

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 09:22 AM

Yet a few grey Mudcatters swear,
Those who still have any hair,
They could have posted ever'y day --
Exceeding the Mother of all BS threads!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: The Ballad of Pancho and Lefty
From: Big Mick
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 10:10 AM

The poets tell how it got absurd,
As Old 'Catters fought for the last word
They posted early and posted late,
'til the thread collapsed of its own weight
It drove ole Mick around the bend
He made a move, the thread to end
So this will be the final post
Out of kindness I suppose

So old grey 'Catters, stay away
For this thread has gone astray
let it die a peaceful death
Out of kindness, I suppose

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: catspaw49
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 09:08 PM

Well Gang, I hated to reopen this can of panchoworms but I ran across another rendition on YouTube from a favorite guy of mine, Hoyt Axton. Very country and up tempo with some great steel work from the incomparable Pete Grant and Champ fiddler Byron Berline doing his thing on Mandolin! Check it out.........

Hoyt Axton---Pancho&Lefty

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: Amos
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 09:25 PM

Bob Dylan and Willie sing Pancho and Lefty

A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 09:34 AM

sigh...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 08:26 PM

Seeing as this thread is still holding on, here is Townes Van Zandt talking about the song, and about a real life Pancho and Lefty, who let him go one time - out of kindness I suppose.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: GUEST,Townes' Ghost
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 09:46 PM

That has already been linked and discussed earlier on the thread.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Feb 08 - 12:07 PM

But that often happens in a recurring nightmare!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: Franz S.
Date: 03 Feb 08 - 12:38 PM

Well, I got a verse of my own for the first time since I was five or so. Can't beat that. Thanks, Amos.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: Amos
Date: 04 Feb 08 - 11:46 PM

For those of you who care, here is an MP3 of the Ballad of Various Critiques found above, including verses on Franz, Mick, Little Hawk and Rapaire.

Ballad of various Critiques

Enjoy.


A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 04:04 AM

Yes, revolution and betrayal.

There's an interview with Townes Van Zandt on YouTube where he says that he *thought* it wasn't about Pancho Villa, but then discovered that one of Villa's sidekicks was called something that meant 'Lefty' in Spanish.

Townes Van Zandt was (a) an alcoholic, who spent a lot of his life in a haze, and (b) a Texas aristocrat, at one stage groomed by his family for governorship.

When he was growing up, he must have heard old men talking about the border wars of the Mexican revolution; old enemies talk in drink.

"He sank into his dreams" - the dream of revolution, of heroism.

I love the way that Van Zandt uses the objective correlative in the tight, spare writing - things like "for all the honest world to feel" making the 'honest' resound back from the world to reflect the naive heroism of Pancho.

The federales: I sense a certain sarcasm in "out of kindness, I suppose?" - as if to say, yeah, they say now they could have had him any day, but that's an empty boast from timid bullies.

"The dust that Pancho bit down south ended up in Lefty's mouth" - what a perfect expression of betrayal: after Pancho's gunned down, Lefty is no longer able to sing the honest blues; his betrayal chokes him.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 09:43 AM

Amos-

Very nice to have this critique available for download, and very nicely executed.

It's vaguely reminiscent of the real thing, I suppose!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: Amos
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 02:01 PM

You're welcome Charley! Send a copy to everyone you know, and your luck will double and your hard drive triple in size.


A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: Amos
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 03:35 PM

I am refreshing this for Spaw, damn his saggy butt.


A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 06:36 PM

Amos you fantastic son of a bitch!   I AM glad you refreshed this damn thing as I'd missed it I guess, somehow. Ya' done good but ya' know crap like this will eventually catch up with you and you'll turn into something hideous and appalling like a Californian or........................er,uh...............hmmmm.........too late................

Nice work anyway..........

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: GUEST,pjhrn
Date: 03 Oct 08 - 11:45 PM

I think with Pancho and Lefty Van Zant is addressing two sides of himself, and maybe by extension of us. And that Lefty perhaps betrays Pancho is a metaphor of the worldly part of ourselves betraying our creative or intuitive side. Or maybe not. But I don't think the song is about two guys named Pancho and Lefty.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Oct 08 - 11:56 PM

I'm guessing here dear Guest that you haven't read this thread. After a certain point it becomes quite enjoyably silly but there's some good info including multiple links toone of Townes' interviews where he explains he has no idea exactly what the song is about or even that it might be about something he had no idea of.

Townes was a bit weird..........click here and see for yourself!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jun 14 - 05:34 PM

The version above looks like the one EL Harris did. Van Zant's versions often varied. The main difference is the line "let him slip away". In the 1st chorus it is "let him hang around" inferring that Poncho was hanged". In the second chorus it is "let him slip away" inferring they let Lefty go because of his assistance. In the 3rd and 4th (final) chorus it is "let him go so wrong" meaning Lefty regretted what he had done.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
From: voyager
Date: 06 Jun 23 - 08:09 PM

1st update since 2014 .... this group is asleep most of the time ...

TGIF

Willie and Dylan - Pancho and Lefty

'he wore his gun outside his belt, for all the honest world to feel ...

or not
voyager