Words & Music:
Billy Strange
Mac Davis
With eyes that hide the man within
You see behind the eyes of, other men
You've lived and died and come to life again
And now you stand alone at the crossroads of your mind
You've left your yesterdays behind..
But which road leads you to tomorrow?
Charro...
You've turned your back on yesterday
Betrayed a man who swore he'd make you pay
For when you left you took his pride away
You know he'll never let you break away so easily
You'll have to fight, before you're free
But how much more time can you borrow?
Charro...
Now in a single moment your past grows dim
One thought goes racing across your mind
You ride to meet the woman you stole from him
Oh no!...Charro don't go!...
Charro don't go!!...
There's something hanging, in the wind
Your past is catching up and closing in
You've been halfway to hell and back again
And now you laugh in the devil's face
with your last breath...
You'll run a race with life and death...
But will you live to see tomorrow?
Charro…
Recordingdate: 1968/10/15, first released on: single (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Charro:
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(percussion)
Others*
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(vocals)
(percussion)
(clarinet)
(clarinet)
(flute)
(horns)
(horns)
(horns)
(oboe)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(harp)
*Orchestra, overdubs
Availability
Find available albums with Charro.
He tried ... he failed ... even the film is better than this song.
I think the song is great...1968 was magic with Mac Davis and Billy Strange's tunes !
To quote my ex-wife (It's one of the few things we ever agreed on) "Great song, lousy movie."
The film was pretty bad the song however was a cut above the usual Elvis movie standard but I'm not keen on it anyway.
Obviously a movie through which they wanted to follow the mainstream at that time. They failed of course. Low budget etc. The song? Well, it's the intro tune from a movie and should be regarded as such. I like it as it is intruiging, but don't listen too often to it.
It's very atmospheric. I like the lyrics, the orchestration, the mood created. In fact everything about it. It shows Elvis's versatility and commitment. I give it "10 out of 10".
I like it. A good movie title song that serves it purpose perfectly, to be sung over the credits. But I also like it as a song, well sung with a great mature vocal , lyrics, and orchestration. Much better than the movie title songs of 1966-67.
He tried..... he succeeded...... one of the better Elvis film tunes from the final movie years. The song captures the feel of the western movie. Great tune.
The song "Charro" is "strong" with an "amazing vocal Performance" by Elvis. And works, well, in the film. Charro, in my opinion is a "good movie". And, If production had gone, the way, Elvis and the producers, had originally planned, it would have been, a better movie. Elvis, looked amazing, in the film.. and he is quite good as Jess Wade. Its one of my favorites, of the Elvis films, even though, it plays like an Episode of "Gunsmoke". (LOL) It would be great if the "lost footage" from the film, would be found.
I feel that a lot of Elvis' soundtrack recordings of the later films were much better than many of the previous movies of 1965-1966., even if they were few. Charro is absolutely among them! I like this song, the arrangement and the feel Elvis adds to it! I even like the movie, low budget as it may be!
Strange film this,I feel EP wasn't too comfortable in this role,although he did a good job of it.
Soundtrack's of the latter years years were a lot better,and so were the films "Change Of Habit"
to name but one !
From 1968 onwards (Speedway not included), the film songs got better. I guess ELvis finally demanded better material. This is a good one. Perfect mood, perfect delivery.
A very listenable song, that i like, and a very entertaining movie, that i also like. Miles away from the mid sixties crap.
Quite possibly the only Elvis movie song that actually feels cinematic. That fact alone does not mean it is the best Elvis movie song, but it is one of the better ones. The songs from "Change of Habit", "Live a Little, Love a Little", "Charro" and "The Trouble With Girls" are all a cut above most of what he did in the previous 6 or 7 years (with a few exceptions). Great vocal and great arrangement. (And the song "Let's Forget About The Stars" cut out of this same movie is another good one!)
I like this one, especially the low drums and of course his voice. No failing in this one.
The very good and very dramatic title song from Elvis' 30th movie. Elvis does an excellent job with this ballad, that tries at times (the drums and arrangement) to get away from Elvis, but he holds it all together. Elvis punctuates the foreboding lyrics perfectly and soars beautifully at the end. A decent movie for one that had the production values of a "Bonanza" episode and a title song that deserves at least 4 stars.
Never got round to seeing the movie, so cannot comment on it, the song, not a pop song really, but better than some that were.
The Movie plot was soso, the acting was Good, the song is a Classic.
Such a haunting mysterious song, I love this one and "Edge of Reality", because the vocals and the sound were different from most of what Elvis had recorded previously.
What a magnificent song, moody, dramatic, atmospheric and yes different from what had gone before,
This is easily one of Elvis' very best movie songs from the 1960's and it's always such a joy to listen to.
A great song from a bad movie. Did someone ever cover this one?
This song was the highlight of my very first Elvis album, Elvis in Hollywood. The tympani and other instrumentation was/is fantastic.
I first watched the movie on a Saturday afternoon TV matinee in the mid 70s. To me, Elvis gave a very strong acting performance.
Great song, wonderful singing and very good arrangement!.
Sorry, not my type of recording, I skip this one.