Gallo Del Cielo, by Tom Russell
Written in a garage in Mountain View, CA in 1979
Transcribed by Dean Munyon
This version from the "Poor Man's Dream" album.
Tom Russell has several different versions of this song on his
various albums. This is one is characterized by a very strong
alternating bass line.
Each [chord] or "/" indicates one measure. (The "/" means repeat the
last-
notated chord).
Key of F: play in D and capo at third fret
Intro: [G]///[A]///[Em][A][G][A][D]///
[D]Carlos Zara/goza left his /home in Casas /Grandes when
the [Em]moon was full///
No [A]money in his /pocket, just a /locket of his /sister
framed in [D]gold///
He /rode into El /Sueco, stole a /rooster called /Gallo
Del Ci[Em]elo///
Then he [A]swam the Rio /Grande with that [G]fighter nestled
[A]deep beneath his [D]arm.///
El [D]Gallo Del Ci/elo was a /rooster born in /heaven so the
[Em]legends say///
His [A]wings they had been /broken, he had /one eye
rollin' /crazy in his [D]head///
And he'd /fought a hundred fights, /and the /legends say
that /one night near El [Em]Sueco///
They'd [A]fought Gallo /seven times, and [G]seven times he'd
[A]left brave roosters [D]dead./
[G]Hola, my The/resa, I am /thinking of you /now in San
An[A]tonio///
I have [Em]27 [A]dollars and the [Em]good luck of your /picture
framed in [A]gold/
[G]Tonight I'll put it /all on the /fighting spurs of /Gallo
Del Ci[A]elo///
And then [Em]I'll return to [A]buy the land [G]Villa stole
from [A]father long [D]ago.///
Out[D]side of San Di/ego, in the /onion fields of /Paco
Monte[Em]verde///
The [A]Pride of San Di/ego lay /sleeping on a /fancy bed of
[D]silk///
And they /laughed when Zara/goza pulled the /one-eyed
del Ci/elo from [Em]beneath his coat///
But they [A]cried when Zara/goza walked a[G]way with a
[A]thousand dollar [D]bill./
[G]Hola, my The/resa, I am /thinking of you /now in
Santa [A]Barbara///
I have [Em]fifteen hundred [A]dollars and the [Em]good luck of
your /picture framed in [A]gold/
[G]Tonight I'll /put it all on the /fighting spurs of /Gallo
Del Ci[A]elo///
And then [Em]I'll return to [A]buy the land [G]Villa stole
from [A]father long [D]ago.///
Now the [D]moon has gone to /hiding and the /lantern light
spills /shadows on a [Em]fighting sand///
Where a [A]wicked black named /Zorro faces /Gallo del Ci/elo
in the [D]night///
But /Carlos Zara/goza fears the /tiny crack that /runs
across his [Em]rooster's beak///
And he [A]fears he has /lost the fifty [G]thousand dollars
[A]riding on the [D]fight./
[G]Hola, my The/resa, I am /thinking of you /now in
Santa [A]Clara///
Yes, the [Em]money's on the [A]table, I am [Em]holding to
your /good luck framed in [A]gold/
And [G]everything we've /dreamed of is /riding on the /spurs
of Del Ci[A]elo///
I pray that [Em]I'll return to [A]buy the land [G]Villa stole
from [A]father long [D]ago.///
Then the [D]signal it was /given, and the /cocks rose
to/gether far [Em]above the sand///
El [A]Gallo del Ci/elo sunk a /gaff into /Zorro's shiny
[D]breast///
They were /separated /quickly but they /rose and fought
each /other thirty [Em]seven times///
And the [A]legends say that /everyone [G]agreed that del
Ci[A]elo fought the [D]best.///
Then the [D]screams of Zara/goza filled the /night outside
the /town of Santa [Em]Clara///
As the [A]beak of del Ci/elo lay /broken like a /shell within
his [D]hand///
And they /say that Zara/goza screamed a /curse upon the
/bones of Pancho [Em]Villa///
When [A]Zorro rose up /one last time and [G]drove del
Ci[A]elo through the [D]sand./
[G]Hola, my The/resa, I am /thinking of you /now in
San Fran[A]cisco///
I have no [Em]money in my [A]pocket, I no [Em]longer have
your /good luck framed in [A]gold/
I [G]buried it last /evening with the /bones of my
/beloved Del Ci[A]elo///
And I'll [Em]not return to [A]buy the land [G]Villa stole from
[A]father long [D]ago./
Do the [G]rivers still run /muddy out/side of my /beloved
Casas [A]Grandes?///
oes the [Em]scar upon my [A]brother's face turn [Em]red when
he hears /mention of my [A]name?/
Do the [G]people of El /Sueco /curse the theft of /Gallo
del Ci[A]elo?///
Well, [Em]tell my family [A]not to worry, [G]I will not [A]return
to cause them [D]shame./
Outro: [G]///[A]///[Em][A][G][A][D]///
Enjoy!
Dean
dean@munyon.com
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