El Paso
Hello everyone, and I hope that my first Musical Analysis has brought you back for another. Today I will doing an analysis of the song El Paso by Marty Robbins. This song is a classic cowboy ballad performed by the greatest to ever perform cowboy ballads. I have been in love with this song ever since I first heard it as a child, and today I would like to go over what elements stand out to me. I will be covering the Melody, Meter, Chords, Range, and Form of this song, and why they are special to me. As always I hope that you enjoy this analysis, and most of all I hope that you enjoy the music.
El Paso was released by Marty Robbins in September of 1959 in the United States. And was actually written by Marty himself. The album it was on featured a number of these story telling songs that will leave you wanting to sit around a campfire on a cool night, swapping stories and eating beans.
Marty Robbins, "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs", September 1959.
If you couldn't already tell, I truly love lyrics that tell a story. And by the end of the 4 minutes and 20 seconds of this song you feel like you've just watched a 2 hour spaghetti western. The lyrics gallop along with the strumming of the Spanish guitar and accompaniment of perfectly times backup vocals. The melody remains consistent throughout the song, guiding you through this bittersweet love story. The melody just feels smooth for me, everything works together to keep me entertained and hanging on to every lyric.
Meter
The meter for this song is using 3/4 time signature, which is used in a lot of Latin music. I think this helps tremendously in creating an atmosphere of a Spanish setting. It feels like the meter is used in this song to propel you forward, as if you're riding on horseback alongside the young cowboy. I believe the meter helps to tell the story of this song, which is why I think it is so important.
Chords
The chords used in this song fit the setting perfectly, using a mix of cowboy chords to make you believe that you could close your eyes and open them to find yourself on a prairie in the old west. Though the chords are fairly simple, they are paired with a folk style strumming pattern that makes them feel deeper and more complex. I could listen to chords like EM and A7 all day, and sometimes I do!
Range
There is a variety of range used in this song in the vocals as well as the guitar. The singing starts off low and soft, describing the setting and the beautiful love interest (Felina). As passions arise and tempers flare, the range and dynamics are elevated, evoking more emotion from the listener. Then when the dust settles, it's back to soft and smooth singing and strumming. This song demonstrates perfectly how Range can take you on a journey and make you feel very engaged in the story.
Form
The Form in this song is very interesting, in that it doesn't use a traditional chorus. Instead of choruses, some verses are amplified with backup vocals that shift the tone of the song. This is used well to carry the story along, helping you too understand the subtle details such as how dark the eyes of Felina seemed, and how the bullet in his side felt to the cowboy. The song is also opened and closed with a guitar lick. The opening lick starts the song on a upbeat note, opening the sounds for the town of El Paso, and the closing lick trends downward, ending the story with the closing of the cowboy's eyes.
I could probably ramble about how perfect this song is until I am blue in the face. But these elements are what project to me most. I hope that my analysis has given you new respect for the song, and possible even opened your ears to this genre of music.
Here is a link to a popular website which reviews music albums, we share some agreements on the story telling abilities of Marty Robbins and the amazing album he created.
Country Exclusive, Reflecting on: Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs, July 17, 2017.
Country Exclusive - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
The next link is a review and also a bit of backstory of Marty Robbins.
Paul W. Dennis, Classic Review: Marty Robbins - "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs", September 16, 2015.
Wordpress Review - Marty Robbins
I played the song while my boyfriend was eating and he immediately stopped eating so he could sing this song. He loves this song and said you picked a great song! I really like the intro to your blog. It made me laugh at how easily you are conversing with your audience. I love how you formatted your post with the explanation of each element. I do agree that I love a song that tells a story and this story is bittersweet. I do agree that Melody does follow a similar pattern to Spanish songs and I enjoy that it was done on purpose to tell a story within the song. You did a great job with your post and explaining each element.
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