Pancho and Lefty - wikipedia Pancho and Lefty For the album of the same name on which this song is featured, see Pancho & Lefty ( album ). `` Pancho and Lefty '' Song by Townes Van Zandt from the album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt Released 1972 Genre Country Length 3 : 40 Label Tomato Songwriter ( s ) Townes Van Zandt Producer ( s ) Kevin Eggers Jack Clement The Late Great Townes Van Zandt track listing `` Fraulein '' ( 7 ) `` Pancho and Lefty '' ( 8 ) `` If I Needed You '' ( 9 ) `` Pancho and Lefty '' Single by Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson from the album Pancho & Lefty B - side `` Opportunity to Cry '' Released April 30, 1983 Genre Country Length 4 : 44 Label Epic Songwriter ( s ) Townes Van Zandt Producer ( s ) Chips Moman Willie Nelson Merle Haggard Merle Haggard singles chronology `` You Take Me for Granted '' ( 1983 ) `` Pancho and Lefty '' ( 1983 ) `` What Am I Gonna Do ( With the Rest of My Life ) '' ( 1983 ) `` You Take Me for Granted '' ( 1983 ) `` Pancho and Lefty '' ( 1983 ) `` What Am I Gonna Do ( With the Rest of My Life ) '' ( 1983 ) Willie Nelson singles chronology `` Little Old Fashioned Karma '' ( 1983 ) Little Old Fashioned Karma 1983 `` Pancho and Lefty '' ( 1983 ) Pancho and Lefty1983 `` Why Do I Have to Choose '' ( 1983 ) Why Do I Have to Choose 1983 `` Pancho and Lefty '' is a song written by country music artist Townes Van Zandt. Often considered his `` most enduring and well - known song, '' Van Zandt first recorded it for his 1972 album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt. Contents 1 Cover versions 2 Content and composition 3 Music video 4 Chart performance 4.1 Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard 5 Notes and sources 6 External links Cover versions Emmylou Harris then covered the song for her 1977 album, Luxury Liner. Also in 1977, Hoyt Axton recorded it on his album Snowblind Friend. In 1983, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson adopted it as the title track of their duet album Pancho & Lefty, and was a number one country hit. Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan sang a duet of the song for Nelson 's birthday TV special, The Big Six - O in 1993. Dick Gaughan performs the song on his 1998 album Redwood Cathedral. The Poozies version of the song is on the 2000 album Come Raise Your Head ( A Retrospective ). Steve Earle performs the song on his 2009 album Townes, which consists of songs written by van Zandt, Earle 's friend and mentor. Frank Turner performs the song on his 2014 album The Third Three Years. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as the 17th greatest Western song of all time. Content and composition The song tells the story of a Mexican bandit named Pancho and a more enigmatic character, Lefty. The song tells of Pancho 's death and implies that he was betrayed by his associate Lefty who was paid off by the Mexican federales. Although the lyrics are not exactly reconcilable with the historic details of the life and death of the famous Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, Van Zandt does not rule out the idea. In an interview, he recalled, `` I realize that I wrote it, but it 's hard to take credit for the writing, because it came from out of the blue. It came through me and it 's a real nice song, and I think, I 've finally found out what it 's about. I 've always wondered what it 's about. I kinda always knew it was n't about Pancho Villa, and then somebody told me that Pancho Villa had a buddy whose name in Spanish meant ' Lefty. ' But in the song, my song, Pancho gets hung. ' They only let him hang around out of kindness I suppose ' and the real Pancho Villa was assassinated. '' In the same interview, Van Zandt recalled, `` We got stopped by these two policeman and... they said ' What do you do for a living ? ', and I said, ' Well, I 'm a songwriter ', and they both kind of looked around like ' pitiful, pitiful ', and so on to that I added, ' I wrote that song Pancho and Lefty. You ever heard that song Pancho and Lefty ? I wrote that ', and they looked back around and they looked at each other and started grinning, and it turns out that their squad car, you know their partnership, it was two guys, it was an Anglo and a Hispanic, and it turns out, they 're called Pancho and Lefty... so I think maybe that 's what it 's about, those two guys... I hope I never see them again. '' Music video A music video was released for the song in 1983, depicting Willie Nelson as Pancho, and Merle Haggard as Lefty. Townes Van Zandt also appears in a supporting role. Chart performance Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard Chart ( 1983 ) Peak position U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 21 Canadian RPM Country Tracks Notes and sources Jump up ^ Beviglia, Jim ( 30 April 2012 ). `` Townes van Zandt, `` Pancho and Lefty '' ``. American Songwriter. Retrieved 5 June 2012. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits : 1944 - 2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 148. Jump up ^ Western Writers of America ( 2010 ). `` The Top 100 Western Songs ''. American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. ^ Jump up to : 1984 PBS series, `` Austin Pickers ''. Ed Heffelfinger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZrAy6iXj7o External links Chords and lyrics from the Townes Van Zandt Blue Sky Homepage Song review at Allmusic Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` The Closer You Get '' by Alabama Billboard Hot Country Singles number - one single July 23, 1983 Succeeded by `` I Always Get Lucky with You '' by George Jones RPM Country Tracks number - one single August 6, 1983 Succeeded by `` He 's a Heartache ( Looking for a Place to Happen ) '' by Janie Fricke Townes Van Zandt Studio albums For the Sake of the Song Our Mother the Mountain Townes Van Zandt Delta Momma Blues High, Low and In Between The Late Great Townes Van Zandt Flyin ' Shoes At My Window No Deeper Blue Songs `` Pancho and Lefty '' `` To Live Is to Fly '' Live albums Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas Live and Obscure Roadsongs Together at the Bluebird Café ( with Guy Clark and Steve Earle ) Live at McCabe 's Related articles Heartworn Highways Be Here to Love Me Townes Merle Haggard The Strangers Roy Nichols Norman Hamlet Biff Adam Dennis Hromek Bobby Wayne Marcia Nichols Eddie Burris George French Jerry Ward Studio albums Strangers Swinging Doors I 'm a Lonesome Fugitive Branded Man Sing Me Back Home The Legend of Bonnie & Clyde Mama Tried Pride in What I Am Same Train, A Different Time A Portrait of Merle Haggard A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World ( or, My Salute to Bob Wills ) Hag Someday We 'll Look Back Let Me Tell You About a Song It 's Not Love ( But It 's Not Bad ) If We Make It Through December Merle Haggard Presents His 30th Album Keep Movin ' On It 's All in the Movies My Love Affair with Trains The Roots of My Raising Ramblin ' Fever A Working Man Ca n't Get Nowhere Today My Farewell to Elvis I 'm Always on a Mountain When I Fall Serving 190 Proof The Way I Am Back to the Barrooms Big City Going Where the Lonely Go That 's the Way Love Goes It 's All in the Game Kern River Out Among the Stars A Friend In California Chill Factor 5 : 01 Blues Blue Jungle If I Could Only Fly Roots, Volume 1 The Peer Sessions Haggard Like Never Before Unforgettable Chicago Wind The Bluegrass Sessions I Am What I Am Working in Tennessee Live albums Okie from Muskogee The Fightin ' Side of Me I Love Dixie Blues Rainbow Stew Live at Anaheim Stadium The Epic Collection ( Recorded Live ) Amber Waves of Grain Motorcycle Cowboy : Live at Billy Bob 's Texas Ol ' Country Singer Live from Austin, TX Live from Austin, TX ' 78 Gospel albums The Land of Many Churches Songs for the Mama That Tried Cabin in the Hills Two Old Friends ( with Albert E. Brumley, Jr. ) Holiday albums Merle Haggard 's Christmas Present Goin ' Home for Christmas Pancho, Lefty and Rudolph ( with Willie Nelson ) I Wish I Was Santa Claus The Strangers albums Instrumental Sounds of Merle Haggard 's Strangers Introducing My Friends The Strangers Getting to Know Merle Haggard 's Strangers Honky Tonkin ' Totally Instrumental ( With One Exception... ) Singles 1960s `` Sing a Sad Song '' `` Sam Hill '' `` ( My Friends Are Gonna Be ) Strangers '' `` I 'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can '' `` Swinging Doors '' `` The Bottle Let Me Down '' `` The Fugitive '' `` I Threw Away the Rose '' `` Branded Man '' `` Sing Me Back Home '' `` The Legend of Bonnie & Clyde '' `` Mama Tried '' `` I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am '' `` Hungry Eyes '' `` Workin ' Man Blues '' `` Okie from Muskogee '' 1970s `` The Fightin ' Side of Me '' `` Street Singer '' `` Jesus, Take a Hold '' `` I Ca n't Be Myself '' `` Soldier 's Last Letter '' `` Someday We 'll Look Back '' `` Daddy Frank ( The Guitar Man ) '' `` Carolyn '' `` Grandma Harp '' `` It 's Not Love ( But It 's Not Bad ) '' `` I Wonder If They Ever Think of Me '' `` The Emptiest Arms in the World '' `` Everybody 's Had the Blues '' `` If We Make It Through December '' `` Things Are n't Funny Anymore '' `` Old Man from the Mountain '' `` Kentucky Gambler '' `` Always Wanting You '' `` Movin ' On '' `` It 's All in the Movies '' `` The Roots of My Raising '' `` Here Comes the Freedom Train '' `` Cherokee Maiden '' `` If We 're Not Back in Love by Monday '' `` Ramblin ' Fever '' `` A Working Man Ca n't Get Nowhere Today '' `` From Graceland to the Promised Land '' `` Running Kind '' `` I 'm Always on a Mountain When I Fall '' `` It 's Been a Great Afternoon '' `` The Way It Was in ' 51 '' `` Red Bandana '' `` My Own Kind of Hat '' 1980s -- 1990s `` The Way I Am '' `` Misery and Gin '' `` I Think I 'll Just Stay Here and Drink '' `` Leonard '' `` Rainbow Stew '' `` My Favorite Memory '' `` Big City '' `` Dealing with the Devil '' `` Are the Good Times Really Over ( I Wish a Buck Was Still Silver ) '' `` Going Where the Lonely Go '' `` You Take Me for Granted '' `` What Am I Gonna Do ( With the Rest of My Life ) '' `` It 's All in the Game '' `` That 's the Way Love Goes '' `` Someday When Things Are Good '' `` Let 's Chase Each Other Around the Room '' `` A Place to Fall Apart '' `` Make - Up and Faded Blue Jeans '' `` Kern River '' `` Amber Waves of Grain '' `` American Waltz '' `` I Had a Beautiful Time '' `` A Friend in California '' `` Out Among the Stars '' `` Almost Persuaded '' `` Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star '' `` Chill Factor '' `` We Never Touch at All '' `` You Babe '' `` 5 : 01 Blues '' `` A Better Love Next Time '' `` If You Want to Be My Woman '' `` Broken Friend '' `` When It Rains It Pours '' `` In My Next Life '' Collaborations Albums Just Between the Two of Us ( with Bonnie Owens ) A Taste of Yesterday 's Wine ( with George Jones ) Pancho & Lefty ( with Willie Nelson ) Heart to Heart ( with Leona Williams ) Walking the Line ( with George Jones and Willie Nelson ) Seashores of Old Mexico ( with Willie Nelson ) Kickin ' Out the Footlights... Again ( with George Jones ) Last of the Breed ( with Willie Nelson and Ray Price ) Django & Jimmie ( with Willie Nelson ) Singles `` Just Between the Two of Us '' ( with Bonnie Owens ) `` The Bull and the Beaver '' with Leona Williams `` Bar Room Buddies '' ( with Clint Eastwood ) `` Yesterday 's Wine '' ( with George Jones ) `` C.C. Waterback '' ( with George Jones ) `` Reasons to Quit '' ( with Willie Nelson ) `` Pancho and Lefty '' ( with Willie Nelson ) `` We 're Strangers Again '' ( with Leona Williams ) `` If I Could Only Fly '' ( with Willie Nelson ) `` That 's the Way Love Goes '' with ( Jewel ) `` Wreck on the Highway '' ( with Chester Smith ) Guest appearances `` Street Singer '' ( by The Strangers ) `` Willie '' ( by Hank Cochran ) `` Walking the Floor Over You '' ( by Ernest Tubb ) `` I Ca n't Hold Myself in Line '' ( by Johnny Paycheck ) `` Lefty '' ( by David Frizzell ) `` Same Old Train '' ( from Tribute to Tradition ) `` Politically Uncorrect '' ( by Gretchen Wilson ) `` I Think I 'll Just Stay Here and Drink '' ( by Hank Williams, Jr. ) Compilations The Best of Merle Haggard Close - Up The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard Songs I 'll Always Sing Eleven Winners The Way It Was in ' 51 Merle Haggard 's Greatest Hits His Epic Hits : The First 11 ( To Be Continued... ) His Best His Greatest and His Best The Lonesome Fugitive Untamed Hawk Vintage Collections Down Every Road 1962 -- 1994 Yesterday 's Wine 1981 - 1988 A&E Biography 16 Biggest Hits For the Record : 43 Legendary Hits Merle Haggard 's Train Whistle Blues 20 Greatest Hits David Allan Coe Presents 40 # 1 Hits The Essential Merle Haggard : The Epic Years Hag : The Best of Merle Haggard Related articles Discography Marty Haggard Noel Haggard Bonnie Owens Leona Williams Mama 's Hungry Eyes : A Tribute to Merle Haggard `` Untanglin ' My Mind '' `` The Seashores of Old Mexico '' Willie Nelson singles discography 1950s and 1960s 1957 `` No Place For Me '' / `` Lumberjack '' 1959 `` Man With the Blues '' / `` The Storm Has Just Begun '' 1960 `` What a Way to Live '' / `` Misery Mansion '' `` Nite Life '' / `` Rainy Day Blues '' 1961 `` The Part Where I Cry '' / `` Mr. Record Man '' 1962 `` Willingly '' / `` Chain of Love '' `` Touch Me '' / `` Where My House Lives '' `` Wake Me When It 's Over '' / `` There 's Gonna Be Love In My House '' `` You Dream About Me '' / `` Is This My Destiny '' 1963 `` Half a Man '' / `` The Last Letter '' `` Take My Word '' / `` Feed it a Memory '' 1964 `` How Long is Forever '' / `` You Took My Happy Away '' `` Am I Blue '' / `` There 'll Be No Teardrops Tonight '' `` River Boy '' / `` Opportunity to Cry '' `` I Never Cared For You '' / `` You Left Me ( A Long Time Ago ) '' `` Pretty Paper '' / `` What A Merry Christmas This Could Be '' 1965 `` She 's Not For You '' / `` Permanently Lonely '' `` Healing Hands of Time '' / `` One Day at the Time '' `` I Just Ca n't Let You Say Goodbye '' / `` And So Will You, My Love '' 1966 `` One In A Row '' / `` San Antonio Rose '' `` Colombus Stockade Blues '' / `` He Sits at my Table '' `` I 'm Still Not Over You '' / `` I Love You Because '' 1967 `` The Party 's Over '' / `` Make Way for a Better Man '' `` Blackjack County Chain '' / `` Some Other World '' `` San Antonio '' / `` To Make a Long Story Short '' 1968 `` Little Things '' / `` Sweet Memories '' `` Good Times '' / `` Where Do You Stand '' `` Johnny One Time '' / `` She 's Still Gone '' 1969 `` Bring Me Sunshine '' / `` Do n't Say Love or Nothing '' `` I Hope So '' / `` Right or Wrong '' 1970s 1970 `` Once More With Feeling '' / `` Who Do I Know in Dallas '' `` Laying My Burdens Down '' / `` Truth Number One '' 1971 `` I 'm a Memory '' / `` Fire and Rain '' `` Yesterday 's Wine '' / `` Me and Paul '' 1972 `` Words Do n't Fit the Picture '' / `` A Moment '' 1973 `` Shotgun Willie '' ( mono ) / `` Sad Songs and Waltzes '' `` Stay All Night ( Stay a Little Longer ) '' / `` Devil in a Sleepin ' Bag '' `` I Still Ca n't Believe You 're Gone '' / `` Heaven and Hell '' `` Bloody Mary Morning '' / `` After the Fire is Gone '' ( with Tracy Nelson ) `` Sister 's Comin ' Home '' ( mono ) / `` Pick Up The Tempo '' `` Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain '' / `` Bandera '' 1976 `` Remember Me ( When the Candle Lights Are Gleaming ) '' / `` Time of the Preacher '' `` I 'd Have to Be Crazy '' ( mono ) / `` Amazing Grace '' `` If You 've Got the Money I 've Got the Time '' / `` The Sound in Your Mind '' 1977 `` Uncloudy Day '' / `` Precious Memories '' `` I Love You A Thousand Ways '' / `` Mom and Dad 's Waltz '' 1978 `` Georgia on My Mind '' / `` On The Sunny Side Of The Street '' `` Blue Skies '' / `` Moonlight in Vermont '' `` All of Me '' / `` Unchained Melody '' 1979 `` Whiskey River '' / `` Under the Double Eagle '' `` September Song '' / `` Do n't Get Around Much Anymore '' `` White Christmas '' / `` Blue Christmas '' 1980s 1980 `` Help Me Make It Through the Night '' / `` The Pilgrim, Chapter 33 '' `` My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys '' / `` Rising Stars '' `` Midnight Rider '' / `` So You Think You 're A Cowboy '' `` On the Road Again '' / `` Jumpin ' Cotton Eyed Joe '' ( performed by Johnny Gimble ) 1981 `` Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground '' / `` I Guess I 've Come to Live Here in Your Eyes '' `` Mona Lisa '' / `` Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star '' `` I 'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter '' / `` Over the Rainbow '' `` Heartaches of a Fool '' / `` Uncloudy Day '' 1982 `` Always on My Mind '' / `` The Party 's Over '' `` Let It Be Me '' / `` Permanently Lonely '' `` Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning '' / `` Old Fords and a Natural Stone '' `` Little Old Fashioned Karma '' / `` Beer Barrel Polka '' `` Why Do I Have to Choose '' / `` Would You Lay with Me ( In a Field of Stone ) '' `` Take It to the Limit '' / `` Till I Gain Control Again '' `` Without a Song '' 1984 `` City of New Orleans ( Unedited version ) '' / `` Why Are You Pickin ' On Me '' 1985 `` Forgiving You Was Easy '' / `` You Would n't Cross the Street '' `` Me and Paul '' / `` I Let My Mind Wander '' 1986 `` Living in the Promiseland '' / `` Bach Minuet in G '' `` I 'm Not Trying to Forget You '' / `` I 've Got the Craziest Feeling '' `` Partners After All '' / `` Home Away From Home '' `` Heart of Gold '' / `` So Much Like My Dad '' `` Island in the Sea '' / `` There Is No Easy Way '' `` Nobody There But Me '' / `` Wake Me When It 's Over '' `` Spanish Eyes '' ( with Julio Iglesias ) / `` Ole Buttermilk Sky '' `` Twilight Time '' / `` Ac - Cent - Tchu - Ate the Positive '' `` Nothing I Can Do About It Now '' / `` If I Were a Painting '' `` There You Are '' / `` Spirit '' `` Is The Better Part Over '' / `` Mr. Record Man '' 1990s `` The Highway '' / `` Spirit '' `` Ai n't Necessarily So '' / `` I Never Cared For You '' ( `` Ai n't Necessarily So '' also on CD Single ) 1991 `` The Piper Came Today '' / `` ( I Do n't Have a Reason ) To Go To California Anymore '' ( `` The Piper Came Today '' also on CD Single ) `` Ten With a Two '' / `` You Decide '' `` Graceland '' `` Still is Still Moving to Me '' / `` Valentine '' 1995 `` Turn Me Loose and Let Me Swing '' 1998 `` I Never Cared for You '' 2000s and 2010s 2002 `` Mendocino County Line '' ( with Lee Ann Womack ) / `` Maria ( Shut Up and Kiss Me ) '' ( Both single tracks released on CD and 7 '' record ) 2003 `` Wurlitzer Prize '' ( with Norah Jones ) `` Beer for My Horses '' ( with Toby Keith ) 2005 `` I 'm a Worried Man '' ( with Toots Hibbert ) `` The Harder They Come '' 2006 `` You Do n't Know Me '' `` Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other '' 2008 `` Gravedigger '' `` You Do n't Think I 'm Funny Anymore '' 2011 `` The Scientist '' 2012 `` Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die '' `` Just Breathe '' `` Come On Back Jesus '' 2013 `` From Here to the Moon and Back '' ( with Dolly Parton ) `` Grandma 's Hands '' ( with Mavis Staples ) `` It Wo n't Be Long '' ( with The Secret Sisters ) `` Somewhere Between '' ( with Loretta Lynn ) 2014 `` The Wall '' `` Bring It On '' `` Laws of Nature '' `` Who 'll Buy My Memories '' `` Summer of Roses '' / `` December Day '' 2015 `` It 's All Going to Pot '' `` Alice in Hulaland '' 2016 `` Lay Me Down '' 2017 `` Still Not Dead '' 2018 `` Last Man Standing '' Book : Willie Nelson Category : Willie Nelson George Canyon Studio albums Ironwolf George Canyon One Good Friend Somebody Wrote Love Classics What I Do Better Be Home Soon Classics II I Got This Compilation albums Decade of Hits Holiday albums Home for Christmas Singles `` Ring of Fire '' `` Seven Spanish Angels '' `` Better Be Home Soon '' `` Rhinestone Cowboy '' `` Pancho and Lefty '' Related articles Discography Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pancho_and_Lefty&oldid=828267490 '' Categories : 1972 songs 1983 singles 2013 singles Townes Van Zandt songs Merle Haggard songs Willie Nelson songs George Canyon songs Vocal duets Songs written by Townes Van Zandt Song recordings produced by Chips Moman Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles RPM Country Tracks number - one singles Epic Records singles Universal Music Canada singles Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Talk Contents About Wikipedia Italiano Edit links This page was last 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Question: who wrote the ballad of pancho and lefty
Answer: Townes Van Zandt