Posted: 11/1/2004 12:13:04 PM EDT
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I give you something to ease today's tensions: EL PASO (written and performed by Marty Robbins) from the 1959 Columbia LP, GUNFIGHTER BALLADS & TRAIL SONGS, CL 1349 Out in the West Texas town of El Paso I fell in love with a Mexican girl Nighttime would find me in Rosa's cantina Music would play and Feleena would whirl Blacker than night where the eyes of Feleena Wicked and evil while casting her spell My love was deep for this Mexican maiden I was in love, but in vain I could tell One night a wild young cowboy came in Wild as the West Texas wind Dashing and daring, a drink he was sharing With wicked Feleena, the girl that I loved So in anger I challenged his right for the love of this maiden Down went his hand for the gun that he wore My challenge was answered in less than a heartbeat The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor Just for a moment I stood there in silence Shocked by the foul, evil deed I had done Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there I had but one chance and that was to run Out through the back door of Rosa's I ran Out where the horses were tied I caught a good one, it looked like it could run Up on its back and away I did ride Just as fast as I could from the West Texas town of El Paso Out to the badlands of New Mexico Back in El Paso my life would be worthless Everything's gone in life, nothing is left It's been so long since I've seen the young maiden My love is stronger than my fear of death I saddle up and away I did go Riding alone in the dark Maybe tomorrow a bullet will find me Tonight nothing's worse than this pain in my heart And at last here I am on the hill overlooking El Paso I can see Rosa's cantina below My love is strong and it pushes me onward Down off the hill to Feleena I go Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys Off to my left are a dozen and more Shouting and shooting I can't let them catch me I have to make it to Rosa's back door Something is dreadfully wrong for I feel A deep burning pain in my side Though I am trying to stay in the saddle I'm getting weary, unable to ride But my love for Feleena is strong, and I rise where I've fallen Though I am weary I can't stop to rest I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle I feel the bullet go deep in my chest From out of nowhere Feleena has found me Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side Cradled by two loving arms that I'll die for One little kiss and Feleena, goodbye From Kristy's Marty Robbins page www.MartyRobbins.net |
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And of course the follow song from a few years later. EL PASO CITY (written and performed by Marty Robbins) from the from the 1976 Columbia LP EL PASO CITY, KC 34303 From thirty thousand feet above the desert floor I see it there below A city with a legend, the West Texas city of El Paso Where long ago I heard a song about a Texas cowboy and a girl And a little place called Rosa's where he used to go and watch this beauty whirl I don't recall who sang the song but I recall a story that I heard And as I look down on this city I remember each and every word The singer sang about a jealous cowboy and the way he used a gun To kill another cowboy, then he had to leave El Paso on the run El Paso City By the Rio Grande The cowboy lived and rode away but love was strong he couldn't stay He rode back just to die in that El Paso sand El Paso City By the Rio Grande I try not to let you cross my mind but still I find There's such a mystery in the song that I don't understand My mind is down there somewhere as I fly above the badlands of New Mexico I can't explain why I should know the very trail he rode back to El Paso Can it be that man can disappear from life and live another time And does the mystery deepen 'cause you think that you yourself lived in that other time Somewhere in my deepest thoughts familiar scenes and memories unfold These wild and unexplained emotions that I've had so long, but I have never told Like everytime I fly up through the heavens and I see you there below I get the feeling sometime in another world I lived in El Paso El Paso City By the Rio Grande Could it be that I could be the cowboy in the mystery That died there in that desert sand so long ago El Paso City By the Rio Grande A voice tells me to go and seek, another voice keeps telling me Maybe death awaits me in El Paso El Paso City Also from From Kristy's Marty Robbins page www.MartyRobbins.net |
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Whoa! Check out this page on Kristy's site: Marty Robbins - the Angry Patriot Even more reason to admire the guy. |
Thanks!
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Not quite Marty Robbins, but still damn fine.... Come a Little Bit Closer In a little café just the other side of the border She was just sitting there givin' me looks that made my mouth water So I started walking her way She belonged to Bad Man José And I knew, yes I knew I should leave When I heard her say, yeah Come a little bit closer You're my kind of man So big and so strong Come a little bit closer I'm all alone And the night is so long So we started to dance In my arms, she felt so inviting That I just couldn't resist Just one little kiss so exciting Then I heard the guitar player say "Vamoose, José's on his way" Then I knew, yes I knew I should run But then I heard her say, yeah Come a little bit closer You're my kind of man So big and so strong Come a little bit closer I'm all alone And the night is so long ------ instrumental break ------ Then the music stopped When I looked the café was empty Then I heard José say "Man you know you're in trouble plenty" So I dropped my drink from my hand And through the window I ran And as I rode away I could hear her say to José, yeah Come a little bit closer You're my kind of man So big and so strong Come a little bit closer I'm all alone And the night is so long ~ Jay & The Americans This song has surely taken on a new meaning to me since I started dating Hispanic chicks! Eric The(IAmBadManJose)Hun 
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Or how about Marty Robbins' Big Iron? To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day Hardly spoke to folks around him didn't have too much to say No one dared to ask his business no one dared to make a slip for the stranger there amongst them had a big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip It was early in the morning when he rode into the town He came riding from the south side slowly lookin' all around He's an outlaw loose and running came the whisper from each lip And he's here to do some business with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead He was vicious and a killer though a youth of twenty four And the notches on his pistol numbered one an nineteen more One and nineteen more Now the stranger started talking made it plain to folks around Was an Arizona ranger wouldn't be too long in town He came here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead And he said it didn't matter he was after Texas Red After Texas Red Wasn't long before the story was relayed to Texas Red But the outlaw didn't worry men that tried before were dead Twenty men had tried to take twenty men had made a slip Twenty one would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip The morning passed so quickly it was time for them to meet It was twenty past eleven when they walked out in the street Folks were watching from their windows every-body held their breath They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his death About to meet his death There was forty feet between them when they stopped to make their play And the swiftness of the ranger is still talked about to-day Texas Red had not cleared leather when a bullet fairly ripped And the rangers aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered round There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground Oh he might have gone on living but he made one fatal slip When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip Big iron Big iron When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip... Eric The(ClassicCountry)Hun
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The house I lived in as a kid was only a block west of Doniphan. Last time I was there we couldn't find Rosa's. The area has really built up and the property would be worth quite a bit more than a scrappy old bar. |
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Ballad of the Alamo will always be the best. Ballad of the Alamo (Marty Robbins, by ?) In the southern part of Texas In the town of San Antone There's a fortress all in ruins that the weeds have overgrown You may look in vain for crosses and you'll never see a-one But sometimes between the setting and the rising of the sun You can hear a ghostly bugle As the men go marching by You can hear them as they answer To that roll call in the sky. Colonel Travis, Davy Crockett, and a hundred eighty more Captain Dickinson, Jim Bowie Present and accounted for. Back in 1836, Houston said to Travis "Get some volunteers and go Fortify the Alamo." Well the men came from Texas And from old Tennessee And they joined up with Travis Just to fight for the right to be free. Indian scouts with squirrel guns Men with muzzle-loaders Stood together, heel and toe To defend the Alamo. "You may ne'er see your loved ones," Travis told them that day "Those who want to can leave now Those who fight to the death let 'em stay." In the sand he drew a line With his army sabre Out of a hundred eighty five Not a soldier crossed the line With his banners a-dancin' In the dawn's golden light Santa Anna came prancing On a horse that was black as the night. Sent an officer to tell Travis to surrender Travis answered with a shell And a rousing rebel yell Santa Anna turned scarlet "Play deguello!" he roared "I will show them no quarter Every one will be put to the sword!" One hundred and eighty five Holding back five thousand Five days, six days, eight days, ten Travis held and held again Then he sent for replacements For his wounded and lame But the troops that were coming Never came, never came, never came... Twice he charged and blew recall On the fatal third time Santa Anna breached the wall And he killed 'em, one and all Now the bugles are silent And there's rust on each sword And the small band of soldiers... Lie asleep in the arms of the Lord... In the southern part of Texas Near the town of San Antone Like a statue on his pinto rides a cowboy all alone And he sees the cattle grazing where a century before Santa Anna's guns were blazing and the cannons used to roar And his eyes turn sorta misty And his heart begins to glow And he takes his hat off slowly... To the men of Alamo. To the thirteen days of glory At the siege of Alamo... |
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You are correct. I had lunch there a while back. I'm currently in El Paso.
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COOL! A Marty Robbins thread!  One of my favorites:
Marty Robbins died on December 8, 1982... almost exactly 22 years ago. 
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