Songs People Should Hear

[Music Head]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5k6R4Z1BC8&NR=1

from wikipedia

"El Paso" is a country and western ballad written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins, and first released on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, reaching Number One in both at the start of 1960. It won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1961, and remains Robbins' best-known song. It is widely considered a genre classic for its gripping narrative, haunting harmonies by Tompall and the Glaser Brothers and the eloquent Spanish guitar accompaniment by Grady Martin that lends the recording a distinctive Tex-Mex feel.

"El Paso" was, at some four minutes and forty-five seconds in duration, far longer than most contemporary singles at the time. Robbins' record company was unsure if radio stations would play such a long song, and so released two versions of the song: the full-length version on one side, and an edited version on the other which was nearer to the three-minute mark. The full-length version was overwhelmingly preferred.

"Out in the west Texas town of El Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl..."
The song is a first-person narrative told by a cowboy who is in El Paso, Texas, in the days of the Wild West. He falls in love with Feleena, at Rosa's Cantina dancing. When another man makes advances on "wicked Feleena", the narrator guns down the challenger, then flees El Paso for fear of being hanged for murder or killed in revenge by his victim's friends. He hides out in the "badlands of New Mexico".

The narrator switches from the past tense to the present tense for the remainder of the song, describing the yearning that drives him to return to El Paso in the face of almost certain death: "It's been so long since I've seen the young maiden / My love is stronger than my fear of death". Upon entering the town, he is attacked and fatally wounded by a posse, but the cowboy is found by Feleena, and he dies in her arms.

In the late 1980s "El Paso" became known as the Official Fight song of the University of Texas at El Paso Miners.

"El Paso" was covered by the Grateful Dead. They started performing the song in 1969. When performed, it was sung by rhythm guitarist Bob Weir with Jerry Garcia contributing harmony vocals on the chorus. The last time they performed the song as The Grateful Dead was on July 5, 1995, 4 days prior to their final show. On the album Ladies and Gentlemen... The Grateful Dead Bob Weir introduces the song as the Dead's "most requested number." In all, they performed it 386 times.

El Paso has become extremely popular in the American West with many crediting Robbins with capturing the spirit of the West.

Plotting the hints from Marty Robbins’ “El Paso” trilogy of songs, one can determine approximately where to find Rosa’s Cantina. At a juncture near where Texas, Chihuahua, and New Mexico converge, at the bottom of a hill, with a back door from which the narrator can run, there is an actual neighborhood bar called Rosa’s Cantina. Its address is 3454 Doniphan, El Paso,TX, and its ambience lends itself to the lyrics of the three songs.

Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican girl.
Night-time would find me in Rosa's cantina;
Music would play and Felina would whirl.
Blacker than night were the eyes of Felina,
Wicked and evil while casting a spell.
My love was deep for this Mexican maiden;
I was in love but in vain, I could tell.
One night a wild young cowboy came in,
Wild as the West Texas wind.
Dashing and daring,
A drink he was sharing
With wicked Felina,
The girl that I loved.
So in anger I
Challenged his right for the love of this maiden.
Down went his hand for the gun that he wore.
My challenge was answered in less than a heart-beat;
The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor.
Just for a moment I stood there in silence,
Shocked by the FOUL EVIL deed I had done.
Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there;
I had but one chance and that was to run.
Out through the back door of Rosa's I ran,
Out where the horses were tied.
I caught a good one.
It looked like it could run.
Up on its back
And away I did ride,
Just as fast as I
Could from the West Texas town of El Paso
Out to the bad-lands of New Mexico.
Back in El Paso my life would be worthless.
Everything's gone in life; nothing is left.
It's been so long since I've seen the young maiden
My love is stronger than my fear of death.
I saddled up and away I did go,
Riding alone in the dark.
Maybe tomorrow
A bullet may find me.
Tonight nothing's worse than this
Pain in my heart.
And at last here I
Am on the hill overlooking El Paso;
I can see Rosa's cantina below.
My love is strong and it pushes me onward.
Down off the hill to Felina I go.
Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys;
Off to my left ride a dozen or more.
Shouting and shooting I can't let them catch me.
I have to make it to Rosa's back door.
Something is dreadfully wrong for I feel
A deep burning pain in my side.
Though I am trying
To stay in the saddle,
I'm getting weary,
Unable to ride.
But my love for
Felina is strong and I rise where I've fallen,
Though I am weary I can't stop to rest.
I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle.
I feel the bullet go deep in my chest.
From out of nowhere Felina has found me,
Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side.
Cradled by two loving arms that I'll die for,
One little kiss and Felina, good-bye.