Pancho and Lefty
Townes Van Zandt


[Verse 1]


Living on the 

road my friend

Was gonna keep

 you free and 

clean

Now you wear y

our skin like 

iron
             
Your breath's 

           
as hard as ker

osene

You weren't yo

ur mama's only

 boy
             
But her favori

          
te one it seem

s
            
She began to c

             
ry when you sa

     
id goodbye
             
sank into your

  
 dreams


[Verse 2]


Pancho was a b

andit, boys

His horse was 

fast as polish

ed steel

Wore his gun o

utside his pan

ts
             
For all the ho

       
nest world to 

feel

Pancho met his

 match you kno

w
             
On the deserts

         
 down in Mexic

o
            
Nobody heard h

        
is dying words
             
That's the way

    
 it goes


[Chorus]


All the federa

les say
             
They could hav

          
e had him any 

day
            
They only let 

        
him hang aroun

d
             
Out of kindnes

    
s I suppose


[Verse 3]


Lefty he can't

 sing the blue

s

All night long

 like he used 

to

The dust that 

Pancho bit dow

n south
            
Ended up in Le

fty's mouth

The day they l

aid poor Panch

o low
             
Lefty split fo

  
r Ohio
            
Where he got t

           
he bread to go
             
There ain't no

     
body knows


[Chorus]


All the federa

les say
             
They could hav

          
e had him any 

day
            
They only let 

         
him slip away
             
Out of kindnes

    
s I suppose


[Verse 4]


The poets tell

 how Pancho fe

ll

Lefty's livin'

 in a cheap ho

tel

The desert's q

uiet and Cleve

land's cold
            
So the story e

nds we're told

Pancho needs y

our prayers it

's true,
             
But save a few

     
 for Lefty too
            
He just did wh

           
at he had to d

o
             
Now he's growi

   
ng old


[Chorus]


A few gray fed

erales say
             
They could hav

          
e had him any 

day
            
They only let 

          
him go so wron

g
             
Out of kindnes

      
s I suppose

(repeat)


A few gray fed

erales say
             
They could hav

          
e had him any 

day
            
They only let 

          
him go so wron

g
             
Out of kindnes

      
s I suppose