Poncho And Lefty
Townes Van Zandt

INTRO:
Am  C  G  F  C  G  Am

C				   G 
Living on the road, my friend, was gonna keep you free and clean
F 					  C		      G
Now you wear your skin like iron and your breath's as hard as kerosene
F					
You weren't your mama's only boy, 
		 C	          F
But you were her favorite one, it seems
    Am                             G       F              Am		
She began to cry when you said goodbye and sank into your dreams

C
Poncho was a bandit, boys
G
His horse was fast as polished steel
F
Wore his guns outside his pants
    C		   G
For all the honest world to feel
      F
Well, Poncho met his match you know
       C	      F
On the desert down in Mexico
    Am                     G
And no one heard his dying words
        F                 Am
Ah, but that's the way it goes

F
All the Federales say
C                  F	
Could have had him any day
Am                 G
Only let him slip away (hang around)
       F              Am	
Out of kindness, I suppose
 
C			       G  
Lefty, he can't sing the blues all night long like he used to
    F				    C           G	
The dust that Poncho bit down south ended up in Lefty's mouth
F
The day they laid poor Poncho low
C               F
Lefty split for Ohio
Am                        G
Where he got the bread to go
F                       Am
There ain't nobody that knows

C					 G
Well, the poets tell how Poncho fell and Lefty's living in a cheap hotel
    F					    C			 G
The desert's quiet and Cleveland's cold, so the story ends we're told
F
Poncho needs your prayers, it's true
C			 F
But save a few for Lefty too
Am                         G
He just did what he had to do
F                    Am
And now he's growing old

F
All the Federales say
C		   F	
Could have had him any day
Am                 G
Only let him hang around
       F              Am	
Out of kindness, I suppose

F
A few gray Federales say
C		       F
Could have had him any day
Am                 G
Only let him go so long
       F             Am
Out of kindness, I suppose