Pancho and Lefty

 
D 
Living on the road my friend,
A 
is gonna keep you free and clean
G 
Now you wear your skin like iron,Your  
D 
breath as hard as  
A 
kerosene.
G 
You weren’t your mama’s only boy, but her  
D 
favorite one it  
G 
seems
D 
She began to cry when you  
G 
said 
 
 
D 
goodb
A 
ye,And 
 
 
G 
sank into your  
Bm 
dreams.
Bm 
A 
D 
D 
Pancho was a bandit boy,
A 
his horse was fast as polished steel
G 
He wore his gun outside his pantsFor  
D 
all the honest world to  
A 
feel.
G 
Pancho met his match you know on the  
D 
deserts down in  
G 
Mexico
D 
Nobody heard his  
G 
dyi
D 
ng 
 
 
A 
words, ah but  
G 
that’s the way it  
Bm 
goes.
Bm 
A 
G 
 
G 
All the Federales say
D 
they could have had him  
G 
any 
 
day
D 
They only let him  
G 
slip 
 
 
D 
awa
A 
y out of  
G 
kindness, I sup
Bm 
pose.
 
Bm 
 
A 
 
D 
D 
Lefty, he can’t sing the blues  
A 
all night long like he used to.
G 
The dust that Pancho bit down south  
D 
ended up in  
A 
Lefty’s 
 
mouth
G 
The day they laid poor Pancho low,  
D 
Lefty split for  
G 
Ohio
D 
Where he got the  
G 
bread 
 
 
D 
to 
 
g
A 
o, there  
G 
ain’t nobody  
Bm 
knows
 
Bm 
 
A 
 
G 
G 
All the Federales say
D 
they could have had him  
G 
any 
 
day
D 
They only let him  
G 
slip 
 
 
D 
awa
A 
y out of  
G 
kindness, I sup
Bm 
pose.
Bm 
A 
D 
 
D 
The boys tell how Pancho fell, and  
A 
Lefty’s living in cheap hotels
G 
The desert’s quiet, Cleveland’s cold,
D 
And so the story  
A 
ends we’re told
G 
Pancho needs your prayers it’s true, but  
D 
save a few for  
G 
Lefty 
 
too
D 
He only did what he  
G 
had 
 
 
D 
to 
 
 
A 
do, and  
G 
now he’s growing  
Bm 
old
 
Bm 
 
A 
 
G 
G 
All the Federales say  
D 
they could have had him  
G 
any 
 
day
D 
They only let him  
G 
slip 
 
 
D 
awa
A 
y out of  
G 
kindness, I sup
Bm 
pose.
 
Bm 
 
A 
 
G 
G 
A few gray Federales say  
D 
they could have had him  
G 
any 
 
day
D 
They only let him  
G 
slip 
 
 
D 
awa
A 
y out of  
G 
kindness, I sup
D 
pose.
G 
A 
D 

notes on playing:

 
D 
She began to cry when you  
G 
said 
 
 
D 
goodb
A 
ye,

Try playing the G D A as:

 
G 
 
D 
 
A 
{sot}|-s-3–2—-|-s-3–3—2|-s-4–2—2|———-2|———–|———–{eot}
 
And  
G 
sank into your  
Bm 
dreams.
Bm 
A 
D 
 
And 
ah but t
G 
hat’s the way it g
Bm 
oes.
Bm 
A 
G 

The transitions at the ends of these lines are similar. Play the Bm like:

 
Bm 
{sot}|—2——-|—3——- And then walk the bass line up or down the 5th string|—4——- to make the change to the final D or G. It’s a quick|—4——- transition.|—2——-|———–{eot}
 
Bm 
 
A 
 
D 
 
Bm 
 
A 
 
G 
{sot}|—2——2 |—2——3|—3——3 |—3——0|—4——2 |—4——0|—4——- |—4——0


These known chords are used in this song.