I still can picture him  
His hands in his back pockets  
He wasn't much for words  
But when the wise kids made a racket  
He just had to go downtown  
Throw his weight around for starting over  
"Say did you hear I've got a band?"  
Some guys I know from LA  
Put on Rio Grande  
I'll pay you back next Friday  
You know it sure ain't big  
Just some cats I dig  
They said; "They'd do the gig"  
Oh Desperado  
Why don't you spend your life in Colorado?  
Oh restless shadow  
Out in the blue hills  
You're feeling hollow  
Oh El Diablo  
Why did you spend your life in California?  
I should have warned ya  
No place to go now but falling over  
Some guys can't make it on the run  
Under the gun  
Not for the younger  
Oh Jack Daniels I feel your hunger  
I know you did your best  
But you thought that you did not  
I wish that I had known  
Before I heard the last shot  
You know it's not a sin  
That little badge of tin  
Just a momento  
So sad your love remained  
My comrades lost in battle  
The music was a din from London to Seattle  
We all made you play and all our yesterdays  
Are starting over  
Oh Desperado  
Why don't you spend your life in Colorado?  
Oh restless shadow  
Out in the blue hills  
You're feeling hollow  
Oh, El Diablo  
Why did you spend your life in California?  
I should have warned ya  
No place to go now but falling over