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Mexicali Blues Lyrics

Laid back in an old saloon, with a peso in my hand,
Watchin' flies and children on the street,
And I catch a glimpse of black-eyed girls who giggle when I smile,
There's a little boy who wants to shine my feet.
And it's three days ride from Bakersfield and I don't know why I came.
I guess I came to keep from payin' dues.
So instead I've got a bottle and a girl who's just fourteen,
And a damn good case of the Mexicali Blues. Yeh!
Is there anything a man don't stand to lose,
When the devil wants to take it all away?
Cherish well your thoughts, and keep a tight grip on your booze,
Cause thinkin' and drinkin' are all I have today.
She said her name was Billy Jean and she was fresh in town.
I didn't know a stage line ran from Hell.
She had raven hair, a ruffled dress, a necklace made of gold,
All the French perfume you'd care to smell.
She took me up into her room and whispered in my ear,
"Go on, my friend, do anything you choose."
Now I'm payin' for those happy hours I spent there in her arms,
With a lifetime's worth of the Mexicali Blues.
Is there anything a man don't stand to lose,
When the devil wants to take it all away?
Cherish well your thoughts, and keep a tight grip on your booze
Cause thinkin' and drinkin' are all I have today.
And then a man rode into town, some thought he was the law.
Billy Jean was waitin' when he came.
She told me he would take her, if I didn't use my gun,
I'd have no one but myself to blame.
I went down to those dusty streets, blood was on my mind.
I guess that stranger hadn't heard the news
Cause I shot first and killed him, Lord, he didn't even draw
And he made me trade the gallows for the Mexicali Blues.
Is there anything a man don't stand to lose
When he lets a woman hold him in her hands?
He just might find himself out there on horseback in the dark
Just ridin' and runnin' across those desert sands.
Song Info
Submitted by
itsmyownmind On Dec 24, 2001
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Cover art for Mexicali Blues lyrics by Grateful Dead

this is about a trip to mexico its pretty obvios, doin all the crazy things in Mexico. Why cant more bands be like grateful dead, we need more great bands, because emo sucks ass

Cover art for Mexicali Blues lyrics by Grateful Dead

not to many people have heard of this song. the only reason i know of it is b/c my brothers band can play it. its great and i cant get enough of it.

Cover art for Mexicali Blues lyrics by Grateful Dead

Music doesn't mean nearly as much as it used to. Now-a-days, its all about dressing in skin tight girl pants for no apparent reason. At least everything before had meaning, and a soul purpose. People were more understanding, and actually involved. the music had a strong human connection, as opposed to sappy love songs about some girl with dark eyeliner who cuts herself. I dont think we can ever accomplish recreating something as euphorical and meaninful as before. music and meaning just went to shit. im ashamed to live in this homophobic, redneck, hippie hating generation.

Cover art for Mexicali Blues lyrics by Grateful Dead

Right on, brother. I do have to disagree with your last point, however. There are bands making good, meaningful music out there these days, you just have to hunt for them among the dreck that makes up 90% of popular music today.

This is a fine song, though. Truly one of Bobby's best.

Cover art for Mexicali Blues lyrics by Grateful Dead

"Cherish well your thoughts, and keep a tight grip on your booze, Cause thinkin' and drinkin' are all I have today. "

Thats gotta be one of my favorite lines of all time.

Anyway. Are they saying women are the devil in this song?

"Is there anything a man don't stand to lose, When the devil wants to take it all away?"

They say that twice, then the final part switches it to, "Is there anything a man dont stand to lose, when he lets a woman hold him in her hands?" They basically just swap out the devil for the woman. Maybe woman always get him into trouble one way or another.

Cover art for Mexicali Blues lyrics by Grateful Dead

"When the devil wants to take it all away" is an excuse for a turn of events that the protagonist doesn't even know why he started out on in the first place. He went to Mexicali, got laid by a 14-year-old, then a woman who essentially tricked him into murder. Oh, and for what it's worth, "Mexicali Blues" is a somewhat-known euphemism for chlamydia.

Cover art for Mexicali Blues lyrics by Grateful Dead

"ya jes might find yerself out there on horseback in the dark jes ridin' and arunnin' across those desert sands"

lots of stuff going down in this song. not as heavy as Jack Straw, but eventful

Cover art for Mexicali Blues lyrics by Grateful Dead

"ya jes might find yerself out there on horseback in the dark jes ridin' and arunnin' across those desert sands"

lots of stuff going down in this song. not as heavy as Jack Straw, but eventful

Cover art for Mexicali Blues lyrics by Grateful Dead

"ya jes might find yerself out there on horseback in the dark jes ridin' and arunnin' across those desert sands"

lots of stuff going down in this song. not as heavy as Jack Straw, but eventful

Cover art for Mexicali Blues lyrics by Grateful Dead

"ya jes might find yerself out there on horseback in the dark jes ridin' and arunnin' across those desert sands"

lots of stuff going down in this song. not as heavy as Jack Straw, but eventful