About the song
“El Paso” is a timeless western ballad that has captivated audiences for generations with its hauntingly beautiful melody and poignant narrative. Written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins in 1959, this iconic song has become a genre classic, winning the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1961 and being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. The song’s enduring popularity is a testament to its masterful storytelling, memorable characters, and evocative music.
The song’s narrative is a gripping tale of love, jealousy, and mortality, set against the backdrop of the Wild West. The protagonist, a cowboy, recounts his doomed romance with a young Mexican dancer named Feleena, who works at Rosa’s Cantina in El Paso, Texas. When he discovers another cowboy sharing a drink with Feleena, his jealousy gets the better of him, and he challenges the newcomer to a gunfight. The outcome is tragic, and the singer flees the scene, leaving behind a trail of destruction and heartache.
Years later, the singer returns to El Paso, driven by his unrelenting love for Feleena. Despite the danger and uncertainty that lies ahead, he is willing to risk everything to be with her again. The song’s climax is a poignant and powerful moment, as the singer is fatally wounded by a posse and dies in Feleena’s arms, his final words a declaration of his love for her. “El Paso” is a masterpiece of storytelling, with its richly detailed characters, vivid settings, and universal themes of love, loss, and redemption. It is a song that continues to captivate audiences to this day, and its influence can be heard in countless other songs and stories that have followed in its footsteps.
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Lyrics
Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican girl
Nighttime would find me in Rosa’s cantina
Music would play and Felina would whirl
Blacker than night were the eyes of Felina
Wicked and evil while casting a spell
My love was deep for this Mexican maiden
I was in love, but in vain I could tell
One night, a wild young cowboy came in
Wild as the West Texas wind
Dashing and daring, a drink he was sharing
With wicked Felina, the girl that I loved
So in anger
I challenged his right for the love of this maiden
Down went his hand for the gun that he wore
My challenge was answered in less than a heartbeat
The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor
Just for a moment, I stood there in silence
Shocked by the foul evil deed I had done
Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there
I had but one chance and that was to run
Out through the back door of Rosa’s I ran
Out where the horses were tied
I caught a good one, it looked like it could run
Up on its back and away I did ride
Just as fast as I
Could from the West Texas town of El Paso
Out to the badlands of New Mexico
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 saddled up and away I did go
Riding alone in the dark
Maybe tomorrow, a bullet may 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 Felina I go
Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys
Off to my left ride a dozen or 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
Though I am trying to stay in the saddle
I’m getting weary, unable to ride
But my love for Felina 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
From out of nowhere Felina has found me
Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side
Cradled by two loving arms that I’ll die for
One little kiss and Felina, goodbye