Warren Zevon Carmelita Long Version

Carmelita, "Carmelita" (from Warren Zevon, 1976)
Most of Zevon's best-known character studies are about men, and even with "Carmelita," it's easy to argue that the song is actually about its narrator, not the title character. But we learn just enough about Carmelita to want to know more: she's (presumably) Latina, and the singer's reminded of her by the "mariachi static on my radio." Although it's implied that she's helping support his heroin addiction ("the county won't give me no more methadone, and they cut off your welfare check"), she may not even be in the same country: He claims to live in the Echo Park neighborhood of L.A., which was just then gaining its reputation for being a major junkie hangout, but he also claims to be "there with her in Ensenada." Wherever and whoever she is, Carmelita seems like the only person who can save him, judging by the haunting chorus, sung years later in a hit version of the song by Linda Ronstadt, whom many people have wrongly assumed is the song's original inspiration.

Lyrics as used in this "Live Version"

I hear Mariachi static on my radio
And the tubes they glow in the dark
I am here with her in Ensenada
And I'm here in Echo Park

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Well, I'm sittin' here playing solitaire
With my pearl-handled deck
The county won't give me no more methadone
And they cut off the old welfare check

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Every time I hear the sirens wail
you know I almost have the heart attack
and her b-big samoan boyfriend says he's gonna
come and break my back

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Well, I pawned my Smith and Wesson.
And I went to meet my man
He hangs out down on Alvarado Street
By the Pioneer chicken stand

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin

hear Mariachi static on my radio
And the tubes they glow in the dark
i'm here with her in Ensenada
And I'm here in Echo Park


Original Album Lyrics:

Lyrics to Carmelita :
Written By Warren Zevon

I hear Mariachi static on my radio
And the tubes they glow in the dark
And I'm there with her in Ensenada
And I'm here in Echo Park

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Well, I'm sittin' here playing solitaire
With my pearl-handled deck
The county won't give me no more methadone
And they cut off your welfare check

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Well, I pawned my Smith Corona
And I went to meet my man
He hangs out down on Alvarado Street
By the Pioneer chicken stand

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Warren
• Zevon
• Carmelita
• Long
• Version

[TransientWriting]

fun fact: the big Samoan was a real person