Lyrics Original Translation Bilingual
Well, there was this movie I seen one time About a man riding 'cross the desert and it starred Gregory Peck He was shot down by a hungry kid trying to make a name for himself The townspeople wanted to crush that Kid down and string him up by the neck Well, the marshal, now he beat that kid to a bloody pulp As the dying gunfighter lay in the sun and gasped for his last breath Turn him loose, let him go, let him say he outdrew me fair and square I want him to feel what it's like to every moment face his death Well, I keep seeing this stuff and it just comes a-rolling in And you know it blows right through me like a ball and chain You know I can't believe we've Lived so long and are still so far apart The memory of you keeps callin' after me like a rollin' train I can still see the day that you came to me on the painted desert In your busted down Ford and your platform heels I could never figure out why you chose that particular place to meet Ah, but you were right, it was perfect as I got in behind the wheel Well, we drove that car all night into San Anton' And we slept near the Alamo, your skin was so tender and soft Way down in Mexico you went out to Find a doctor and you never came back I would have gone on after you but I Didn't feel like letting my head get blown off Well, we're drivin' this car and The sun is comin' up over the Rockies Now I know she ain't you but she's here And she's got that dark rhythm in her soul But I'm too over the edge and I ain't in The mood anymore to remember the times when I was your only man And she don't want to remind me She knows this car would go out of control Brownsville girl with your Brownsville Curls, teeth like pearls shining like the Moon above Brownsville girl Show me all around the world, Brownsville girl, you're my honey Love Well, we crossed the panhandle and then we headed towards Amarillo We pulled up where Henry Porter used to live He owned a wreckin' lot outside of Town about a mile Ruby was in the backyard hanging Clothes, she had her red hair tied back She saw us come rolling up in a trail of dust She says, "Henry ain't here but you can Come on in, he'll be back in a little while." Then she told us how times were tough And about how she was thinkin' of bummin' a Ride back to from where she started But she changes subject every time money came up She said, "Welcome to the land of the living dead." But you can tell she was so broken-hearted She said, "Even the swap meets Around here are getting pretty corrupt." "How far are y'all going?" Ruby asked us with a sigh "We're going all the way 'til the wheels fall off and burn 'Til the sun peels the paint and the seat Covers fade and the water moccasin dies." Ruby just smiled and said, "Ah, you know some babies never learn." Something about that movie though Well I just can't get it out of my head But I can't remember why I was in it Or what part I was supposed to play All I remember about it was Gregory Peck and the way people moved And a lot of them seemed to be lookin' my way Brownsville girl with your Brownsville Curls, teeth like pearls shining like the Moon above Brownsville girl If you show me all around the world, Brownsville girl, you're my honey Love Well, they were looking for somebody with a pompadour I was crossin' the street when shots rang out I didn't know whether to duck or to run, so I ran "We got him cornered in the churchyard," I heard somebody shout Well, you saw my picture in the Corpus Christi Tribune. Underneath it, it said, "A Man with no alibi." You went out on a limb to testify for me, you said I was with you Then when I saw you break down in Front of the judge and cry real tears It was the best acting I saw anybody do Now I've always been the kind of person That doesn't like to trespass but sometimes You just find yourself over the line Oh if there's an original thought out there, I could use it right now You know, I feel pretty good But that ain't sayin' much. I could feel a whole lot Better If you were just here by my side to show me how Well, I'm standin' in line in the Rain to see a movie starring Gregory Peck Yeah, but you know it's not the one that I had in mind He's got a new one out now, I don't even know what it's about But I'll see him in anything so I'll stand in line Brownsville girl with your Brownsville Curls, teeth like pearls shining like the Moon above Brownsville girl Show me all around the world, Brownsville girl, you're my honey Love You know, it's funny how things never Turn out the way you had 'em planned The only thing we knew for sure about Henry Porter is that his name wasn't Henry Porter And you know there was somethin' about You baby that I liked that was always too Good for this world Just like you always said there was Something about me you liked that I left behind In the French Quarter Strange how people who suffer together Have stronger connections than people who Are most content I don't have any regrets, they can talk about me plenty when I'm gone You always said people don't do what they Believe in, they just do what's most convenient Then they repent And I always said, "Hang on to me Baby, and let's hope that the roof stays on." There was a movie I seen one time, I think I sat through it twice I don't remember who I was or where I was bound All I remember about it was it starred Gregory Peck, he wore a gun and he was shot In the back Seems like a long time ago, long before the stars were torn down Brownsville girl with your Brownsville Curls, teeth like pearls shining like the Moon above Brownsville girl Show me all around the world, Brownsville girl, you're my honey Love ย
Lyrics meaning The lyrics move between a remembered relationship, a journey across the American Southwest, and scenes from a movie about a gunfighter. The speaker sounds caught between affection and loss: he recalls traveling with a woman, but she disappeared in Mexico, and he is now with someone else while still thinking about her. The repeated address to the โBrownsville girlโ makes his longing feel persistent, even as the story shifts and his memories become uncertain.
The movie seems to echo the speakerโs own confusion about identity and responsibility. He cannot remember what role he played, while later he recalls being accused of a crime and the woman defending him in court. The journey โโtil the wheels fall off and burnโ suggests reckless determination to keep going, perhaps despite hardship. Rubyโs remark that โsome babies never learnโ gently hints that the travelers may be repeating mistakes or refusing to settle down.
The song does not present a neat, reliable timeline. Some events may be memories, imagined scenes, or details blended with the movie, and the speaker himself admits that plans and recollections go awry. His affection is sincere, but not simple: he remembers tenderness and loyalty alongside separation, danger, and regret. The endingโs return to the film may suggest that the past remains vivid, while its exact meaningโand the speakerโs place in itโstays unresolved.