The song tells the story of a Mexican bandit named Pancho and a more mysterious character, Lefty, and implies that Pancho was killed after he was betrayed by his associate Lefty, who was paid off by the Mexican federales. ... Van Zandt appears in the video for the song playing one of the Mexican federales.

Did Pancho Villa really have a friend named Lefty?

When Carranza's government finally fell in 1920, Villa was granted a pardon and given a ranch in Chihuahua. Three years later he was assassinated. According to Van Zandt, “Lefty” was thought to have been the nickname given to one of Villa friends in real life.

Who was lefty in Pancho Villa?

From the details given in the lyrics, "Lefty" is clearly Lefty Frizzell, the famous '40s-50s country singer who died broke in a Cleveland hotel.