Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 I've been going over some old cassettes that I've since Moses was a Corporal and came across El Paso. It came out when I was still in Junior High, about 1958 or 1959, and I have always wondered: He shot a man in what appears to be an equal match and runs away. Did he run from the law or from the Texan's friends? Also, were the men who shot him down shooting at him for killing the cowboy or for stealing a horse? For some reason I still remember the first time I heard the song. A couple of friends and I had gone to little Chinese cafe a block from school because we could get about a cup and a half of soup, a package of crackers, and a small Coke for two bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 To me, it has always appeared that he was running from the cowboys saddle partners. "I challenged his right to the love of the lady Down went his hand for the gun that he wore" The cowboy drew first. It was clearly self-defense. But if the cowboy was in town with four or five of his buddies from the ranch, and some townie shot their friend, it might not matter if it was justified. "Many thoughts raced through my mind in a instant I had but one chance and that was to run" He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. "Out through the back door of Rosa's I ran Out where the horses were tied I caught a good one, it looked like he could run Up on his back and away I did ride" That, I've always thought, was the problem. He stole a horse. That's a capital offense. So aside from "murdering" their friend, he was a horse thief. He deserved to die. And it's all because he had the stupidity to fall in love with a B girl. Women will get you in trouble. Add booze "Dashing and daring, a drink he was sharing With wicked Felina, the girl that I loved" And that becomes major trouble. And if Evil Roy finds out that he was messing around with Wicked Felina, there's liable to be a Holy Terror coming after him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creeker, SASS #43022 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 You guys must be listening to a different song than me. The dude has severe emotional and mental issues. He murdered the cowboy - plain and simple out of jealousy. He falls in love with a prostitute; and when he runs out of money - she is plying her trade with another guy (he may love her - but I doubt the feelings are reciprocal). But our mentally challenged hero doesn't see it that way - she was nice to him; obviously it's true love. So he "challenged his right" meaning walked up with an attitude and most likely a drawn gun. And when the (I'm assuming very shocked) cowboy who was just seconds ago buying drinks for the soiled dove tries to defend himself - our hero guns him down. He then runs away because he knows he just committed murder and will face a gallows. Plus he compounds his crime by becoming a horse thief to boot. He returns to El Paso because he is somehow so infatuated with this prostitute that he apparently can't visit a brothel or saloon anywhere else in Texas. The guy is so unstable that just the sight of riders on horseback causes him to start shouting and shooting. The "mounted horsemen" that shoot him are obviously lawmen. The cowboys buddies would have "maybe" given chase and then went on their next cattle drive or however they made their living. Certainly not stayed in El Paso just in case the guy who killed the cowboy returned. As for the ending - Felina holding him and one final kiss? Nope. He was just a customer that she had long forgotten and moved on to the next. His version is all hallucination and blood loss from being shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 CREEKER! Yer just a buzzkill!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 OH!! And “El Passo City” is a much better song with much better orchestration and arrangement!! My dad and Marty were friends. Marty had fun with his music and had both a great sense of humor and a better sense of irony!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 I’d have to listen to the song again which I don’t have but I seem to remember those were lawman after him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 Off to my right I see 5 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 I've always understood that as the posse was the one doing the shouting and shooting. And they weren't "lawmen" - He specifically says "mounted cowboys". A posse, sure. But a posse was not lawmen. It was just whoever the sheriff could round up from the saloon that had their horse and gun with them, and wasn't so drunk that they fall off the horse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Jones, SASS 2263 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 Great song. It put El Paso on the map. The other two parts of the trilogy round out the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 I never thought of her as a B-girl. Yeah, the guy was stupid, but he didn't draw first (neither did Han). I'm with Alpo that his crime was stealing the horse. This rarely played 2nd song of the trilogy really fleshes out the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dantankerous Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 He shoulda run from El Paso and never returned. But had he done that we wouldn't have this great song. Maybe the cowboy did us a favor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grass Range Posted July 24, 2023 Share Posted July 24, 2023 Great song by a great country singer. Only second to Strawberry Roan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted July 24, 2023 Share Posted July 24, 2023 My favorite Marty Robbin's song! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Dan Troop 70448 Posted July 24, 2023 Share Posted July 24, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Jones, SASS 2263 Posted July 24, 2023 Share Posted July 24, 2023 All three. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl Brasse, SASS #3562 Posted July 25, 2023 Share Posted July 25, 2023 Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs was one of the maybe 10 records in the house when I was a kid. So since we played them over & over I used to be able to sing along & knew all the words to it... along with "Camelot", lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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