Guitar lesson for

Pancho and Lefty

by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard • Lesson #57

Video lesson

PDF Print-friendly chord sheet available for Patreon supporters

Get the PDF here -- after clicking and logging in to Patreon, look for the file attached to the bottom of the post.

Supporting me on Patreon gives you access to the PDF for this as well as 150+ other lessons. One month minimum ($3, cancel anytime) gets you access to everything... here's a free sample. Thanks for supporting me and this project!

Lyrics w/ chords

INTRO RIFF:

E ––10––––9–––7–––9–––7–––5–5–––––––5–––––3–––2–––3–––2–––0–2––––––––
B ––10––––10––8–––10––8–––5–7–––––––7–––––3–––3–––3–––3–––3–3––––––––
G ––11––––9–––7–––9–––7–––7–7–––––––7–––––4–––2–––4–––2–––2–2––––––––
D ––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

D                                A
...Living on the road my friend... was gonna keep you free and clean
G                                        D                            A
...And now you wear your skin like iron... and your breath as hard as kerosene

    G                                            D                      G
    ...You weren't your mama's only boy, but her favorite one it seemed
    Bm                  G        D     A           G                    Bm     
    ...She began to cry when you said---- goodbye... and sank into your dreams

D                            A
...Pancho was a bandit boys... his horse was fast as polished steel
G                                     D                      A
...He wore his gun outside his pants... for all the honest world to feel

    G                                        D               G
    ...Pancho met his match you know, on the deserts down in Mexico
    Bm                  G   D A      G                            Bm
    ...Nobody heard his dying words.... oh, but that's the way it goes

    G                         D                         G
    ...All the Federales say... they could have had him any day
    Bm                   G    D  A           G          Bm
    ...They only let him slip a--way, out of kindness I suppose

D                                 A
...Lefty, he can't sing the blues... all night long like he used to
G                                      D              A
...The dust that Pancho bit down south... ended up in Lefty's mouth

    G                                    D                   G
    ...The day they laid poor Pancho low... Lefty split for Ohio
    Bm                  G     D  A    G                     Bm
    ...Where he got the bread to go..... there ain't nobody knows

    G                         D                         G
    ...All the Federales say... they could have had him any day
    Bm                 G    D  A           G          Bm
    ...We only let him slip a--way, out of kindness I suppose

    (solo over chorus chords...)

D                                 A
...The poets tell how Pancho fell... and Lefty's living in cheap hotels
G                                        D                  A
...The desert's quiet, Cleveland's cold... and so the story ends we're told

    G                                       D                     G
    ...Pancho needs your prayers, it's true... but save a few for Lefty too
    Bm                     G   D  A     G                       Bm
    ...He only did what he had to do...... and now he's growing old

    G                         D                         G
    ...All the Federales say... they could have had him any day
    Bm                   G    D  A           G          Bm
    ...They only let him slip a--way, out of kindness I suppose

    G                            D                         G
    ...A few grey Federales say... they could have had him any day
    Bm                   G    D  A           G          Bm
    ...They only let him slip a--way, out of kindness I suppose

Editor’s notes

Another song I very recently fell deeply in love with for the first time. I first came across the Willie & Merle version (which I enjoyed), and then discovered Townes Van Zandt (who wrote this song) – who I embarrassingly didn’t even know existed. I began devouring his music, and this song in particular. Aside from his finger style work, I wouldn’t describe his guitar arrangements as flashy or readily distinct as Willie’s – which really allows for his lyrics to shine through in an unreal way. It was hearing his version of the song that really let the raw emotion and sentiment creep in. I couldn’t get enough, and of course being in love with Willie’s guitar style right now – went to him and Merle’s version so I could finally learn that very cool intro riff. One day I’ll learn the solo, and do a lesson for it! But it will probably be a bit down the road. In the meantime, enjoy.

Intro riff

How Merle actually plays it

Not only is this the way Merle plays it, but it’s also how I recommend learning it. This isn’t trivially easy to play, but it’s easier than the version further below AND it provides a consistent sound when played, which is a good thing. The great part about this approach is you’re 100% on the highest 3 strings. True, you can let the D string ring on some / any / all of these chords (and it sounds great!) – but because that D string is always left open (not fretted), it doesn’t require any add’l left hand work to do this.

E ––10––––9–––7–––9–––7–––5–5–––––––5–––––3–––2–––3–––2–––0–2––––––––
B ––10––––10––8–––10––8–––5–7–––––––7–––––3–––3–––3–––3–––3–3––––––––
G ––11––––9–––7–––9–––7–––7–7–––––––7–––––4–––2–––4–––2–––2–2––––––––
D ––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

First way I learned it

At first, I was convinced this was it – and for sure, if you wanted to you could play it this way and be 100% fine. The downside of this version is about practicality – in that, you’re on the highest 3 strings for the first half, and then the 4th / 3rd / 2nd strings for the second half. One reason this is bad has to do with picking accuracy –– it’s quite a bit harder to cleanly strum the 2nd/3rd/4th strings (only) in a way that matches the sound of the 1st half, where you’re on the highest 3 strings. If you’re curious, feel free to practice it this way! I enjoyed getting this under my belt. But again, after doing some digging and watching a video of Merle Haggard playing it –– I’m won over by the practicality of his version.

E ––10––––9–––7–––9–––7––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––10––––10––8–––10––8–––8–10––––––10––––8–––7–––8–––7–––5–7––––––––
G ––11––––9–––7–––9–––7–––7–11––––––11––––7–––7–––7–––7–––6–7––––––––
D ––––––––––––––––––––––––9–12––––––12––––9–––7–––9–––7–––7–7––––––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Chords needed

E ––––2–––3–––0–––2––––
B ––––3–––0–––2–––3––––
G ––––2–––0–––2–––4––––
D ––––0–––0–––2–––4––––
A ––––––––2–––0–––2––––
E ––––––––3––––––––––––
      D   G   A   Bm

Chord progression cheat sheet

Verse:

| D . . . | D . . . | A . . . | A . . . |
| G . . . | G . . . | D . . . | A . . . |

Chorus:

| G  . . . | G  . . . | D . . . | G . . . |
| Bm . . . | G  D  A . . . | A  . . . |
| G  . . . | Bm . . . | Bm . . . |

Solo

Coming, one day, eventually :)

Good luck!

Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful.

Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!

If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).

You can also support me on Patreon. For only $3/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).

Thanks!

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!