Rocha y Martinez 1929
Corridos Directory
In the country of the Carmen Look what happened The sheriff died leaving Roman wounded
The following morning When people arrived Some said to others They don't know who killed him
They were investigating And three hours later They found out the wrongdoer Was Gregorio Cortez.
Cortez was wanted Thoroughout the state Alive or dead apprehended For he has killed several.
Said Gregorio Cortez With his pistol in his hand "I'm not sorry I killed him Self defense is permitted."
Americans came They flew like the wind Because they were going to win The three thousand pesos reward.
They continued toward Gonzales Several sheriffs saw him They did not want to continue Because they were afraid of him
Came the hound dogs They came on his trail But to reach Cortez Was to reach a star.
Gregorio Cortez said "What's the use of plans If you can't catch me Even with those hound dogs."
The Americans said, "If we see him what shall we do to him, If we face him head on Very few will return."
In the ranch corral They managed to surround him. A little more than 300 men There he gave them the slip.
There around Encinal From all they say They had a shoot-out And he killed another sheriff.
Gregorio Cortez said, With his pistol in his hand, "Don't run, you cowardly Rangers, I am Gregorio Cortez."
Gregorio says to Juan "Very soon you will see, Ggo and talk to the sheriffs They should come and arrest me."
When the sheriffs came Gregorio presented himself. You'll take me if I wish it, Bbecause there is no other way."
Now they caught Cortez, Now the case is closed, His poor family He carries in his heart.
With this I take my leave In the shade of a cypress Here we finish singing The tragedy of Cortez.
Gregorio Cortez was born on a ranch just south of the Mexican border in 1875. In 1887 the Cortez family moved to Texas. 2 years later Gregorio and his brother Romaldo worked as farm hands and vaqueros. Gregorio soon married. His first child, a daughter, was born when he was 16. After years of wandering the Cortez family settled in Karnes County. It was 1900; Gregorio Cortez was 25. In 1901 Sheriff Brack Morris visited Gregorio Cortez seeking a horse thief described only as "...a medium-sized Mexican with a red hat." Through his interpreter Morris questioned several Mexicans and finally traced the man who traded a horse for a mare from Gregorio Cortez. Later investigations proved Cortez had legally acquired the mare. At the Cortez place Romaldo Cortez spoke with the visitors first, then called Gregorio. When asked if he had traded a horse Gregorio replied "no" (he traded a mare) When Gregorio Cortez said "no" Sheriff Morris tried to arrest the Cortez brothers. Morris then shot Romaldo, shot at Gregorio and missed and was mortally wounded by Gregorio. Knowing the posse would soon arrive, Gregorio Cortez left his brother with the Cortez family, fled north and hid out with a friend. Betrayed by friends of Sheriff Morris, a gunfight ensued in which a posse member was shot and killed by a drunken deputy. Again Cortez escaped, heading toward the Rio Grande. Another friend gave him a pistol and a mare. Pursued by a posse using bloodhounds, after 2 days of hard riding the mare gave out and died. Cortez acquired another mare and for 3 days outran posse after posse. When she too gave out, Cortez lay exhausted and slept all day. On his 26th birthday Gregorio Cortez walked into a sheep camp. Inspired by the 1000 peso reward, a greedy camp hand betraying Gregorio brought about his arrest. The money was never paid. Despite Mexicans' fundraising toward Cortez' defense he was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Pardoned in 1916 Cortez, 41, died of wounds from fighting in the Mexican revolution. The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez is sung solemnly in Texas borderlands today. The story is told in the biography With His Pistol in His Hand and in the film Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, starring Edward James Olmos. Again, I can't find the MIDI for Corrido De Gregorio Cortez.
In 1901 Sheriff Brack Morris visited Gregorio Cortez seeking a horse thief described only as "...a medium-sized Mexican with a red hat." Through his interpreter Morris questioned several Mexicans and finally traced the man who traded a horse for a mare from Gregorio Cortez. Later investigations proved Cortez had legally acquired the mare. At the Cortez place Romaldo Cortez spoke with the visitors first, then called Gregorio. When asked if he had traded a horse Gregorio replied "no" (he traded a mare) When Gregorio Cortez said "no" Sheriff Morris tried to arrest the Cortez brothers. Morris then shot Romaldo, shot at Gregorio and missed and was mortally wounded by Gregorio.
Knowing the posse would soon arrive, Gregorio Cortez left his brother with the Cortez family, fled north and hid out with a friend. Betrayed by friends of Sheriff Morris, a gunfight ensued in which a posse member was shot and killed by a drunken deputy. Again Cortez escaped, heading toward the Rio Grande. Another friend gave him a pistol and a mare. Pursued by a posse using bloodhounds, after 2 days of hard riding the mare gave out and died. Cortez acquired another mare and for 3 days outran posse after posse. When she too gave out, Cortez lay exhausted and slept all day.
On his 26th birthday Gregorio Cortez walked into a sheep camp. Inspired by the 1000 peso reward, a greedy camp hand betraying Gregorio brought about his arrest. The money was never paid. Despite Mexicans' fundraising toward Cortez' defense he was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Pardoned in 1916 Cortez, 41, died of wounds from fighting in the Mexican revolution. The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez is sung solemnly in Texas borderlands today. The story is told in the biography With His Pistol in His Hand and in the film Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, starring Edward James Olmos. Again, I can't find the MIDI for Corrido De Gregorio Cortez.
I'll sing you a true song of Billy the Kid I'll sing of the desperate deeds he did Out in New Mexico long, long ago When a man's only chance was his own .44
When Billy the Kid was a very young lad In old Silver City he went to the bad Out in the West with a gun in his hand At 12 he first killed a man
Fair Mexican maidens play guitars and sing Songs about Billy, their boy bandit king How ere his young manhood reached its sad end He'd a notch on his pistol for 21 men
On the same night when Billy died He said to his friends: I'm not satisfied There's 21 men I put bullets through Sheriff Pat Garrett must make 22
This is how Billy the Kid met his fate The bright moon was shining, the hour was late Shot down by Pat Garrett, who once was his friend The young outlaw's life had now come to its end
Many a man so fine and fair Starts out in life with a chance to be square Like poor Billy he wanders astray And loses his life the very same way
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