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Salvador Sanchez Lyrics
Salvador Sanchez arrived and vanished
Only twenty-three with so much speed
Owning the highway
Mexico City had so many
But none quite like him, sweet warrior
Pure magic matador
Pancho Villa would never rest
'Til 1925, he closed his eyes
To Manilla stars would rise
Ghosts of the Philippines, choirs and angels sing
Ukulele strings play for his legend
Iloilo king
How have they gone fell by leather
All alone or bound together
Benny "Kid" Paret came a good way
Climbed to grey skies to lift his hands
Was struck by the better man
Eyes of Las Villas cry for sons
Lost on distant shores when unforeseen horrors
Struck and delivered him
Battling Siki, few found pretty
Proud or arrogant, the dominant
Smirking, brute immigrant
New York City, few found pity
When two shots stopped a string of bouts
Snuffed his black candle out
How have they gone fell by leather
All alone or bound together
How have they gone fell by leather
All alone or bound together
Only twenty-three with so much speed
Owning the highway
But none quite like him, sweet warrior
Pure magic matador
'Til 1925, he closed his eyes
To Manilla stars would rise
Ukulele strings play for his legend
Iloilo king
All alone or bound together
Climbed to grey skies to lift his hands
Was struck by the better man
Lost on distant shores when unforeseen horrors
Struck and delivered him
Proud or arrogant, the dominant
Smirking, brute immigrant
When two shots stopped a string of bouts
Snuffed his black candle out
All alone or bound together
All alone or bound together
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So here's some info on those boxers in the song.
Salvador was an amazing boxer who consistently beat better boxers. He died in a car crash in '82 Pancho Villa had an ulcerated tooth going into a fight, the morning of he had it pulled and was told not to fight, but he did. Villa spent most of the fight using one hand to protect his face and lost. A few days later he went to get his tooth checked and they found three more infected, so they pulled them and told him to take it easy, he instead went around town drinking and a few days later ended up in the hospital and died at 24 years old. Benny Paret fought Emile Griffith and during the sixth round took a massive pummeling he never recovered from he slipped into a coma and ten days later died. Because of that Boxing wasn’t shown on network TV for 10 years
Truth be told I think its better acoustic, gets the full weight of the song
Agreed. Love the "Pancho Villa" version. Blows me away. Mark sure does love boxing.
Agreed. Love the "Pancho Villa" version. Blows me away. Mark sure does love boxing.
additional info about pancho villa, he fought a Total of 104 fightswinning 92 of it and he got never knocked out.. some of his defeats were questioned.. he also knocked out kimmy wilde. and he was only 23 when he died, imagine 104 fights and just 23y/o.. could have doubled that..
additional info about pancho villa, he fought a Total of 104 fightswinning 92 of it and he got never knocked out.. some of his defeats were questioned.. he also knocked out kimmy wilde. and he was only 23 when he died, imagine 104 fights and just 23y/o.. could have doubled that..
Been listening to this album a lot lately. What a great tribute to fallen boxers and busted psyches. Who can't relate to this?
A-fucking-men. Jesus, I get lost in this song every time.
Cead1 has it dead on.
Ghosts of the Philippines Choirs and angels sing Ukelele strings play for his legend Iloilo King
and then
Eyes of Las Villas cry for sons lost on distant shores; unforeseen horrors Struck and delivered him.
Thats the song ladies and gentlemen, mystery solved
Just a phenomenal song. Until I heard this song, I did not think it was possible for anyone to out-do Neil Young & Crazy Horse at this type of grinding, groaning guitar music. But Kozelek and Co have done it. And Neil is my all-time favorite artist.
But SKM's GHOSTS OF THE GREAT HIGHWAY is my all-time favorite album. Truly stunning.
Magnificent. It's too tied in with the specific sports theme to ring with metaphors of romantic loves and losses, but I think the topic is really just the bones for the guitar work to raise it to a mythic level; hear those guitars grind, groan, creak and ache the stories of these deceased, valiant young men.
Kozelek, you are a fucking genius.
epic.
Hmmm
Eyes of Los Rios cry for suns Lost on distant shores, unforeseen horrors Struck and delivered him
I don't get it. Los Rios is in Ecuador. Neither Paret or Griffith (the boxer who killed him) were from Ecuador. Distant Shores? So confused...any ideas?
I think the problem is that the lyrics as printed here are very wrong in spots. I listened over and over to the acoustic version on the second CD of "Ghosts," the "Pancho Villa" version at the end, and the electric "Salvador Sanchez," and I have some lyrics that will make sense, given where these boxers come from. It also shows a basic structure to the song: two verses for each fighter, first one introducing the fighter and the second one mourning the loss.
I think the problem is that the lyrics as printed here are very wrong in spots. I listened over and over to the acoustic version on the second CD of "Ghosts," the "Pancho Villa" version at the end, and the electric "Salvador Sanchez," and I have some lyrics that will make sense, given where these boxers come from. It also shows a basic structure to the song: two verses for each fighter, first one introducing the fighter and the second one mourning the loss.
First, in the fourth verse, it should read:
First, in the fourth verse, it should read:
Ghosts of...
Ghosts of the Philippines Choirs and angels sing Ukelele strings play for his legend Iloilo King
There is a Filipino boxer named (Ceslo) Gozo, but he's not dead and never really won consistently. Iloilo is a town that Pancho Villa, also Filipino, moved to right before he started fighting.
The other bum verse in this transcription is the final one. It should read: Eyes of Las Villas (instead of Los Rios)
Paret was from the city of Santa Clara in a region of Cuba that is called Las Villas.
It's tough to hear what Kozelek is singing, but man I've listened to this song about a hundred times, first just basking in it and then trying to figure out what the hell it meant. That has to be the sign of a great song, and I'm still not sick of it.
Reminded so much of Nick Drake, who was ahead of his time. This is a perpetuation of his beautiful melodies and the sadness of ephemeral life.
its tough to digest the fact that this guy can write absolutely about anything and with his voice make it sound so profound.