He only did what he had to do
Pancho met his match, you know
"Could have had him any day"
Where he got the bread to go
The dust that Pancho bit down south
But that's the way it goes
For all the honest world to feel
All the federales say
We only let him go so long
Pancho needs your prayers, it's true
"We could have had him any day"
"They could have had him any day"
The day they laid poor Pancho low
We only let him slip away
But her favorite one, it seems
Out of kindness, I suppose
They only let him slip away
His horse was fast as polished steel
And now he's growin' old
Pancho was a bandit, boy
Ended up in lefty's mouth
The poets tell how Pancho fell
All the federales say
He wore his gun outside his pants
"They could have had him any day"
Sank into your dreams
A few old gray federales say
And lefty's livin' in a cheap hotel
On the deserts down in Mexico
Out of kindness, I suppose
All night long like he used to
But save a few for lefty, too
And your breath as hard as kerosene
Weren't you mama's only boy
And now you wear your skin like iron
The desert's quiet and Cleveland's cold
They only let him go so long
She began to cry when you said, "Goodbye"
Lefty split for Ohio
Out of kindness, I suppose
Nobody heard his dyin' words
All the federales say
Lefty he can't sing the blues
There ain't nobody knows
And so the story ends, we're told
