Ryan Bingham version of the late, great Townes Van Zandt song Pancho and Lefty. Bingham performed this song at
his Amazon Concert: Ryan Bingham Live. Bingham loosely strums and fingerpicks throughout. If you have Amazon
Prime be sure to check out his great concert.
One note about the chords: this is how Ryan Bingham performed the song in concert, he omitted a chorus at the
end and changed the lyrics of the last chorus, missing is "a few grey federales say". Also, I personally like
to add a G in between the Bm and A7 in the verse and chorus. It's up to you.
[Verse]
D
Livin' on the road my friend
A7
Was gonna keep you free and clean
G
Now you wear your skin like iron;
D A7
Your breath's as hard as kerosene
G
You weren't your momma's only boy
D G
But her favorite one, it seems
Bm A7
She began to cry when you said goodbye
G Bm
And sank into your dreams
[Verse]
D
Pancho was a bandit, boys
A7
His horse was fast as polished steel
G
Wore his gun outside his pants
D A7
For all the honest world to feel
G
Pancho met his match, you know
D G
On the deserts down in Mexico
Bm A7
Nobody heard his dying words
G Bm
That's the way it goes
[Chorus]
G
All the federales say
D G
They could have had him any day
Bm A7
They only let him slip away
G Bm
Out of kindness, I suppose
[Verse]
D
Lefty, he can't sing the blues
A7
All night long like he used to
G
The dust that Pancho bit down south
D A7
Ended up in Lefty's mouth
G
The day they laid poor Pancho low
D G
Lefty split for Ohio
Bm A7
Where he got the bread to go
G Bm
There ain't nobody knows
[Instrumental]
Bm D A7 G D A7 G D G Bm A G Bm D
[Verse]
D
The poets tell how Pancho fell;
A7
Lefty's living in a cheap hotel
G
The desert's quiet; Cleveland's cold
D A7
So the story ends, we're told
G
Pancho needs your prayers, it's true
D G
But save a few for Lefty, too
Bm A7
He just did what he had to do
G Bm
Now he's growing old
[Chorus]
G
All the federales say
D G
They could have had him any day
Bm A7
They only let him go so wrong
G Bm
Out of kindness, I suppose