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.