Living on the road, my friend
was gonna keep you free and clean
now you wear your skin like iron
and your breath's as hard as kerosene
you weren't your mama's only son
but her favorite one it seems
she began to cry when you said goodbye
and sank into your dreams
Poncho was a bandit, boys
his horse was fast as polished steel
he wore his gun outside his pants
for all the honest world to feel
poncho met his match, you know
on the deserts down in mexico
nobody heard his dyin' words
but that's the way goes
All the federales say,
they could have had him any day
they only let him slip away,
out of kindness, i suppose
Lefty he can't sing the blues
all night long like he used to
the dust that poncho bit down south
ended up in lefty's mouth
day they laid poor poncho low
lefty split for ohio
where he got the bread to go
there ain't nobody knows
All the federales say,
they could have had him any day
they only let him slip away,
out of kindness, i suppose
[ guitar ]
The poets tell how poncho fell
and lefty's living in a cheap hotel
the desert's quiet and cleveland's cold
and so the story ends we're told
poncho needs your prayers, it's true
vut save a few for lefty too
he only did what he had to do
and now he's growing old
All the federales say,
they could have had him any day
they only let him slip away,
out of kindness, i suppose
A few grey federales say
they could have had him any day
they only let him go so long,
out of kindness, i suppose.