"Spanish Johnny" is a song by Waylon Jennings that tells the story of a man named Spanish Johnny and his life as a cowboy. The lyrics portray Johnny as a gentle and kind-hearted individual who would never harm a child. He would often sit by a water ditch with his herd, playing his mandolin and singing songs of Spain. However, the song also reveals a darker side to Spanish Johnny. When he was drunk on gin, his conversations with men could turn vicious. It is implied that he had taken the lives of many men, despite his gentle nature towards children. The song refers to the changing times, as the advent of the road and modernization brought an end to the era of driving big herds. Johnny eventually meets a tragic fate, dying a hard death before being hanged. The night before his execution, he sings one last time to his beloved mandolin. The song concludes with the image of Johnny being buried in cold clay with a cross of wood marking his grave. A letter is sent to his family in Mexico, informing them of his death and his mandolin is also shipped to them as a keepsake. Overall, "Spanish Johnny" explores the complex nature of a man who possessed both kindness and violence, set against the backdrop of a changing era in the American West.
