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El Paso City

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Wikipedia article




"'El Paso City'" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Marty Robbins. It was released in March 1976 as the first single and title track from the album 'El Paso City'. The song was Robbins' 15th number one on the U.S. country singles chart and his first since "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" six years earlier. The single stayed at number one for two weeks and spent 11 weeks on the chart.

Background



Robbins wrote "El Paso City" while flying over El Paso, Texas, in - he reported - the same amount of time it takes to sing, four minutes and 14 seconds. It was only the second time that ever happened to him; the first time was when he composed the original El Paso as fast as he could write it down.

The song is a reworking (and indirect sequel) of Robbins' 1959 hit "El Paso," about a gunfighter who flees for his life after killing another man in a fit of jealousy, but who later returns and is himself shot dead by a posse.

Content



In "El Paso City," the main protagonist is a passenger on an airplane over El Paso and is compelled to recall the song he heard long ago ("El Paso"). He fails to recall the man who sang "El Paso," but immediately senses a supernatural connection to the story. He wonders to himself, "Could it be that I could be the cowboy in this mystery," suggesting a past life.

The arrangement of "El Paso City" includes riffs and themes from "El Paso" and its sequel, "Feleena (From El Paso)".

Charts



Weekly charts



Year-end charts



Other versions



The Meat Puppets covered the song on their single We Don't Exist (1994).

References



Category:1976 singles

Category:1976 songs

Category:Marty Robbins songs

Category:Songs written by Marty Robbins

Category:Song recordings produced by Billy Sherrill

Category:Columbia Records singles


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