EL PASO
(written and performed by Marty Robbins)
from the 1959 Columbia LP, GUNFIGHTER BALLADS & TRAIL SONGS, CL 1349

Midi 1(G75)

 Try harp keys "C" and "F" as below...  3/4 time      For diatonic harmonica
See YouTube videos below
Hilarious videos
Midi 2(F178)
Midi 3(G69)
Tabbed by Mark Purintun

                                    

 

 

 



Key of "C"

 
  4  4  5      6    5 4     -4 -4 –5   -6-5   -2 –3  –4    –5    5  -4  -5 5 –4   
| Out in the | West Texas | town of El | Paso | I fell in | love with a | Mexican |
    4 -->     4   4     5       6   5  4   -4–4   –5    -6–5    -2 –3   –4    
| girl |  | Nighttime would | find me in | Rosa's can | tina, | music would |
   –5   5  -4     -5 5   –4      4 ---->
| play and Fe |  leena would | whirl. |    |

Verse 1:  (Key of "C")
    4  4    5      6     5   4     -4  -4 -5   –6 -5     2 -3  -4    -5 5   -4  
| Blacker than | night were the | eyes of Fe | leena, | w
icked and | evil while |
  
-5  5  -4    4 ---->     4   4   5      6   5   4     -4 –4–5   -6 -5     -2 –3 –4 
| casting a | spell. |   |
My love was | deep for this | Mexican | maiden. | I was in
  
–5    5  –4    -5  5   -4     4 ---> R R
| love, but in | vain I could | tell. |     |

(Change to harp key “F”)
   4    -5  -5   -5    6      -7 -6   6    -5      4 
-5  -6    -7  -6 -7    
| One night a | wild young | cowboy came | in
, | wild as the | West Texas |
   
7      8 –8 7  –7 --->     -2  -3  -4    6  6   5     6   -5  -4    -3 -2    -2
| wind... |       |    |    | Dashing and | daring, a | drink he was | sharing, with |
   -2 -3 -4    -5 5   -4    -5   5  –4     4 --->
-3  4   -4    4 -2    -2    -2  -3 
| wicked Fe | leena, the | girl that I | loved. |
So in | an | ger I | challenged his |
    -4 
 -3  -2    -3  -3   4     5  4      -4   -5   -6     7   -7  -6 
| right
for the | love of this | maiden. | Down went his | hand for the |
  
7   -7  -6     6 --->  6     6  6    -7    -8  -7    6    -6   -6  7     8   7     -6
| gun that he | wore. |  My | challenge was | answered in | less than a | heartbeat. The |
   -4  -5    -6      7   -7  -6     7  -7  -6     6 ----->
| handsome young | stranger lay | dead on the | floor. |    |

Verse 2:  (change to key of "C")
    4   4  5    6  5  4     -4    -4  -5   -6  -5        -2   -3  -4    -5   5 -4
| Just for a | moment I | stood there in | silence, | shocked by the | foul, evil |
   -5  5  -4     4----->     4 4    5         6       5    4    -4  -4 -5   
| deed I had | done. |    | Many thoughts | raced through my | mind as I  |
 
   -6    -5    -2  -3  -4    -5    5    -4    -5   5  -4    4 ---> R R   
|
stood there, | I had but | one chance and | that was to | run. |      |

(Harp Key of "F")
  
4     -5    -5    -5   -5   6   -7 -6  6    -5      4    -5   -6    -7 -6  -7 
| Out through the | back door of | Rosa's I | ran,  | out where the | horses were |
    7
    8  –8 7  –7 --->   4    5   6     7   7   -6      7    -7   6     5    4
| tied. |
       |    |    | I caught a | good one, it | looked like it | could run, |
  4   5  6     -7   -6 6    -7 -6 6     -5---->  5  -5     6    -5 -4     4     4   5
| up on its | back and a | way I did | ride. | Just as | fast | as I  | could from the |
    6   5 4     -4  -4 -5   -6-5     -2 -3  -4    -5  5   -4    -5  5 -4   4 --->
| West Texas | town of El | Paso, | out to the | badlands of | New Mexi | co. |   |

Verse 3  (change to harp key of "C")

Back in El Paso my life would be worthless.  Everything's gone in life, nothing is left.
It's been so long since I've seen the young maiden, my love is stronger than my fear of death.

I saddle up and away I did go.  Riding alone in the dark. 

(Key of "F") Maybe tomorrow a bullet will find me.
Tonight nothing's worse than this pain in my heart.  And at last here I am on the hill overlooking El Paso.  I can see Rosa's cantina below.  My love is strong and it pushes me onward. Down off the hill to Feleena I go.  Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys.

Off to my left ride a dozen and more, shouting and shooting I can't let them catch me.
I have to make it to Rosa's back door. Something is dreadfully wrong for I feel a deep burning pain in my side.

(Key of "F") Though I am trying to stay in the saddle, I'm getting weary, unable to ride.

But my love for Feleena is strong, and I rise where I've fallen though I am weary I can't stop to rest.
I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle.  I feel the bullet go deep in my chest.

 

Coda  (after last verse) (back to key of C)
 
  4    4  5    6   5   4    -4-4  -5     -6  -5      -2 -3 -4     -5   5  -4  

| From out of | nowhere Fe | leena has | found me, | kissing my | cheek as she |
   
-5    5 -4     4 --->     4  4   5    6   5  4     -4   -4   -5     -6  -5
| kneels by my | side. |   |
Cradled by | two loving | arms that I'll | die for. |
 
 -2  -3 -4    -5    5  -4   -5  5   -4     4     4    4   4 rr
|
One little | kiss then Fe | leena, good | bye. |    |    |    |
(and fade out)

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Marty Robbins                                                                                  Marty Robbins (1978)

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