Spanish Johnny feat. Waylon Jennings

(Paul Siebel)

EmmyLou Harris & Waylon Jennings



Those other years, the dusty years we drove the big herse through

I tried to forget the miles we rode and Spanish Johnny too

He'd sit beside a water ditch when all this herd was in

And he'd never harm a child but sing to his mandolin.



The old talk, the old ways, and the dealin' of our game

But Spanish Johnny never spoke, but sing a song of Spain

And his talk with men was vicious talk when he was drunk on gin

Ah, but those were golden things he said to his mandolin.



--- Instrumental ---



We had to stand, we tried to judge, we had to stop him then

For the hand so gentle to a child had killed so many men

He died a hard death long ago before the road come in

And the night before he swung he sung to his mandolin.



Well, we carried him out in the mornin' sun, a man that done no good

And we lowered him down in the cold clay, stuck in a cross of wood

And a letter we wrote to his kinfolk to tell them where he'd been

And we shipped it out to Mexico, along with his mandolin...



--- Instrumental to fade ---