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 the legendary Marty Robbins in 1959, this iconic song has become a genre classic, earning widespread acclaim and numerous accolades. Released on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs, “El Paso” was a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, reaching the top spot on both charts and becoming the first No. 1 hit of the 1960s. The song’s impact was further solidified when it won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1961.
The song’s enduring popularity can be attributed to its masterful storytelling, which weaves a tale of love, loss, and tragedy that has resonated with listeners of all ages. The song’s narrative is expertly crafted, shifting seamlessly from past to present tense as it recounts the tragic events that unfold. The haunting harmonies provided by vocalists Bobby Sykes and Jim Glaser, along with the eloquent and varied Spanish guitar accompaniment by Grady Martin, add depth and texture to the song, lending it a distinctive Tex-Mex feel that is quintessentially American.
The song’s protagonist, Feleena, is a character that has become an integral part of American music folklore, and her story has been immortalized in the annals of country music history. Interestingly, the name Feleena was inspired by a schoolmate of Robbins’ in the fifth grade, Fidelina Martinez, who was a kind and gentle soul who left a lasting impression on the young Marty Robbins.
Over the years, “El Paso” has been recognized as one of the greatest western songs of all time, earning a spot on the Top 100 Western songs of all time list compiled by the Western Writers of America. In 1998, the 1959 recording of “El Paso” on Columbia Records by Marty Robbins was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, a testament to the song’s enduring legacy and influence on the music industry. Today, “El Paso” remains a beloved classic, a testament to the power of music to transcend time and touch the hearts of listeners around the world.
Video
Lyrics
From thirty thousand feet above the desert floor I see it there below
A city with a legend, the West Texas city of El Paso
Where long ago I heard a song about a Texas cowboy and a girl
And a little place called Rosa’s where he used to go and watch this beauty whirl
I don’t recall who sang the song but I recall a story that I heard
And as I look down on this city I remember each and every word
The singer sang about a jealous cowboy and the way he used a gun
To kill another cowboy, then he had to leave El Paso on the run
El Paso City
By the Rio Grande
The cowboy lived and rode away but love was strong he couldn’t stay
He rode back just to die in that El Paso sand
El Paso City
By the Rio Grande
I try not to let you cross my mind but still I find
There’s such a mystery in the song that I don’t understand
My mind is down there somewhere as I fly above the badlands of New Mexico
I can’t explain why I should know the very trail he rode back to El Paso
Can it be that man can disappear from life and live another time
And does the mystery deepen ’cause you think that you yourself lived in that other time
Somewhere in my deepest thoughts familiar scenes and memories unfold
These wild and unexplained emotions that I’ve had so long, but I have never told
Like everytime I fly up through the heavens and I see you there below
I get the feeling sometime in another world I lived in El Paso
El Paso City
By the Rio Grande
Could it be that I could be the cowboy in the mystery
That died there in that desert sand so long ago
El Paso City
By the Rio Grande
A voice tells me to go and seek, another voice keeps telling me
Maybe death awaits me in El Paso
El Paso City