At 25, “Pancho and Lefty” Remains a Landmark
There’s an old adage that states there is honor among thieves, a sort of formal way of saying that even criminals live by a code. The code, I believe, includes not ratting out your fellow criminals, so when a guy turns in a fellow outlaw, it often requires a major change of life. Distilled to its core essence, that’s the story in “Pancho and Lefty,” a song Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson recorded 25 years ago this week (Nov. 9), and in my estimation, one of the greatest country singles ever made.
Part of what makes it such a landmark recording is its near-perfect mix of numerous elements. For starters, the songwriter Townes Van Zandt crafted a storyline that’s rich in detail, though its most important fact — that Lefty was a traitor — is left for the listener to pick up only after multiple hearings. Willie and Merle, who was barely functioning when Willie woke him up to sing his verse at the studio, provide distinct third-party voices. They deliver the lines in a way that allows you to find sympathy for both Pancho and Lefty, and in keeping with Van Zandt’s words, the singers never cast judgment on the characters.
Still, the part that really stitches “Pancho” together is the guitar solo. It sounds simple enough — an acoustic run with a descending series of intervals that’s doubled with a second guitar. But the simplicity was hard to achieve. Willie tried to play the right lines on his guitar, Trigger, and couldn’t pull it off. The inimitable Grady Martin, who played the classic sounds on Marty Robbins’ “El Paso,” couldn’t do it either. It was left up to producer Chips Moman, known for his work with Elvis Presley and B.J. Thomas, to put it together. His final performance sounds deceptively natural, and it was miked so well that the buzzing vibrations of those nylon strings lend a subtle authenticity to the Old West setting of the lyrics.
Truly remarkable recordings have a way of rewarding you long after they should have worn out their welcome. That’s code for: “Pancho and Lefty” still sounds really good.
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McMacalloy says:
I agree with you for the most part–it is a great recording of a great song, and Nelson and Haggard deserve credit for bringing it to the masses. It wasn’t until I heard Townes Van Zandt perform the song on his Live at the Old Quarter album, however, that I realized how great the song really is. I never was a fan of the 1980’s sitcom-style intro anyway (it always struck me as a bit out of place), but hearing Van Zandt’s sparse acoustic intro was really an eye-opener. I still love Willie and Merle’s version, of course, but I actually find myself humming Van Zandt’s more often than not.
mjayhill says:
Mr. Roland, I can’t add a damn thing to that. That’s a perfect review of a perfect song with legends on every measure. Few songs ever find that kind of treatment. I think I’ll just drink my last beer and listen.
Tom says:
Who wrote I’LL NEVER SMOKE WEED WITH WILLIE AGAIN ??