Townes Van Zandt’s genius was never more evident than in the song that’s become a standard for so many artists who continue to absorb his indelible influence. Looking at it now in retrospect, it’s obvious that “Pancho and Lefty” exemplified his knack for creating moving narratives and composing incisive melodies even early on. It tells the tale of a hapless outlaw who just manages to stay a step ahead of the law due to the mercy of his pursuers and the friendship formed by two unlikely outcasts.
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For his part, Lefty’s a restless soul who leaves his former life in Ohio behind in pursuit of whatever adventure may await south of the border. Pancho—a character that some critics suggest was modeled after the notorious bandit Pancho Villa, a fact Van Zandt neither affirmed nor denied—is an outlaw of the highest order. Unfortunately, neither character’s life came to a fruitful conclusion. Lefty led a life of quiet desperation, forced to shelter himself in a series of rundown abodes where he was left lonely, alone, and without the companionship of his renegade buddy, who eventually finds his own sad fate by dying in the far reaches of Mexico’s desert domains.
First recorded for Van Zandt’s debut album, The Late Great Townes Van Zandt, “Pancho and Lefty” failed to attract initial attention until Emmylou Harris chose to record it for her album Luxury Liner. Harris’ version, in turn, captured the attention of Willie Nelson, who decided to cover it with Merle Haggard for what became their album of the same name. As the story goes, the two had finished their joint project, but Nelson felt like it needed another song to provide further hit potential. It was Nelson’s daughter Lana who initially brought the tune to her dad’s attention, and, as the story goes, he was so enthused about its possibilities he insisted on cutting it immediately, which just happened to be in the dead of night. To do so, he had to rouse Haggard, who had already retired for the evening. When Haggard asked to recut his vocals the next morning, Nelson demurred, insisting it was fine the way it was.
He was right; the album quickly climbed to No. 1.
A number of other artists have recovered the song over the years, making it one of the most popular covers in the whole of country music confines. Indeed, it’s hard not to find sympathy for this ill-fated pair, especially given that tender yet emphatic refrain. As the song says, They only let him hang around out of kindness I suppose, although it’s later hinted that the hanging was done from the end of a rope.
Ironically, Van Zandt had an experience of his own that mirrored the tale of the trouble-prone pair. As the story goes, he was pulled over for speeding, and the pair of police officers that nabbed him remotely resembled the two characters in the song. One was fair-skinned and the other had a darker complexion, much like Pancho and Lefty were made out to be. When they got him in the back of their squad car, they asked him his occupation. Van Zandt replied that he was a songwriter and one of his songs just happened to be “Pancho and Lefty.”
That was when the two cops made it known that their radio code names were also Pancho and Lefty. Like the federales in the song, they showed him mercy and let him off with a warning.
Ultimately there’s a moral to the story that extends well beyond any advice given to those who think they can outrun the law:
Livin’ on the road my friend was supposed to keep you free and clean / now you wear your skin like iron, your breath’s as hard as kerosene.
It’s a lesson that ought to be heeded by any free spirit or restless soul. Likewise, given a refrain that consistently touches the heart, those thoughts are thoroughly ingrained.
At the same time, the song serves as a reminder of a life taken too soon. Despite his brilliance, Van Zandt remained a troubled soul, a man plagued by bipolar disorder that was later exacerbated by his battles with alcoholism and drug abuse. Given his premature passing at the age of 52—the inevitable result of those struggles and his own seeming urge for self-destruction—it became all the more tragic considering his indisputable genius and the poignant and passionate music he left behind.
Remarkably, he led the life of an impoverished individual; like Lefty, he often lived in cheap motels or backwoods cabins without the benefit of electricity or even a telephone. It’s said that Bob Dylan was so enamored with his work, he tried to coax Van Zandt into co-writing with him, but Van Zandt refused. Nevertheless, when Dylan sang “Pancho and Lefty” with Willie Nelson at a concert celebrating the latter’s 60th birthday, it became an homage that many considered the highlight of that particular performance.