Saturday, December 27, 2014


Kevin "Blackie" Farrell's masterpiece. You know who have written a great song when it is covered by great songwriters. First recorded by Bill Kirchen in 1977 then by Leo Kottke, Robert Earl Keen, Tom Russell, Michael Martin Murphy, Richard Shindell, Dave Alvin and Jeff Foucault. 

Regarding his inspiration, Farrell said: "I just envisioned a guy, saddling up his horse, riding off with his pals off the ranch, going into town just to blow off some steam on a Saturday night and winding up living a nightmare."

Thank you Mr. Farrell!


Sonora's Death Row
Kevin "Blackie" Farrell

Me and the boy's we cinched up our saddles
 And rode to Sonora last night
 Gun's hanging proud, daring out loud
 For anyone looking to fight
Card cheats and rustlers would run for their holes
 When the boys from the old broken O
 Rode up and reined on the street that they named
 Sonora's death row

Mescal is free at Amanda's saloon
 For the boy's from the old broken O
 Saturday nights in the town of Sonora
 Are the best in all Mexico
They've got guitars and trumpets and sweet senoritas
 Who won't want to let you go
 You'd never believe such a gay happy time
 On the street called Sonora's death row

Inside Amanda's we was a dancin'
 With all of Amanda's gals
 I won some silver at seven card stud
 So I was out doin' my pals
But the whiskey and mescal, peso cigars
 Drove me outside for some air
 Somebody whispered, "Your life or your money
 I reached, but my gun wasn't there"

I woke up face down in Amanda's back alley
 Aware of the fool I had been
 Rushed to my pony, grabbed my Winchester
 And entered Amanda's again
Where I saw my partners twirling my pistols
 And throwing my money around
 Blinded by anger, I jacked the lever
 And one of them fell to the ground

Amanda's got silent like night in the desert
 My friends stared in pure disbelief
 Amanda was kneeling beside the dead cowboy
 Plainly expressing her grief
And as I bowed my head a trembled shot through me
 My six-gun was still at my side
 I felt my pockets, there was my money
 I fell to my knees and I cried

A nightmare of mescal is all that it was
 For no one had robbed me at all
 I wish I was dreaming the sound of the gallows
 They're testing just outside the wall
And the mescal's still free at Amanda's saloon
 For the boy's from the old broken O
 I'd give a ransom to drink there today
 Be free of Sonora's death row
 Yes I'd give a ransom to drink there today
 Be free of Sonora's death row



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