LogFAQs > #955569105

161. Townes Van Zandt Pancho and Lefty (1972)
from the album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zprRZ2wFQD4

Key lyrics:
Nobody heard his dying words
Thats the way it goes

Writing about popular music, there is an easy way out I typically try to avoid. Lacking the knowledge to properly discuss the instrumentation, it is tempting to shift focus to the lyrics and themes. The same gripe I have with amateur film critics treating movies like little more than narrative vessels tempts me in this other medium. Especially with my slight audio processing difficulties, I largely do not parse the lyrics until I already like the song even mentioning the lyrics thus feels disingenuous. I say all this to preface the fact that some songs simply are about the lyrical content. Certain musicians, such as Townes Van Zandt, take after the bardic tradition. This is a man, his guitar, and a tale of two notorious figures.

Pancho and Lefty is a quintessential western track, one that has been covered numerous times by more famous artists. Yet Townes Van Zandts sparse renditions stick with me more than any other. These are performances I can imagine around a campfire on a cold desert night. His southern drawl lends more authenticity - this could be a song swiped from the Wild West itself. The lyrics are evocative, from breath as hard as kerosene to the dust that Pancho bit down south ended up in Leftys mouth. Van Zandt has no need for additional bells and whistles his words pack a dense punch which would render a broader production redundant, too precise. The simplicity gives an air of truth.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/