Carmelita (song)
"Carmelita" is a country rock song written by Warren Zevon. The song was originally recorded by Canadian singer Murray McLauchlan on his self-titled album of 1972. Zevon himself recorded it four years later, in 1976, on his self titled album. Linda Ronstadt recorded a well known version in 1977, and various covers have followed.
"Carmelita" | |
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Song by Murray McLauchlan | |
from the album Murray McLauchlan | |
Released | 1972 |
Genre | country rock |
Length | 4:08 |
Songwriter(s) | Warren Zevon |
Versions
McLauchlan's original version appeared as an album track, and was not released as a single.
- Zevon recorded a demo version of the song in 1974, which was released as a bonus track on the 2008 reissue of his self-titled album. Two other Zevon demo versions of "Carmelita" have also been officially released. The "master" recording appears on all versions of his 1976 self-titled album.
- Linda Ronstadt recorded a slightly altered version of the song on her 1977 album, Simple Dreams. Ronstadt's version includes an alternate lyric that has Ronstadt pawning her "Smith & Wesson" as opposed to Zevon's "Smith Corona" thus creating a different persona for the protagonist. In a demo version released on Preludes - Rare and Unreleased Recordings, Zevon also sings about pawning a Smith & Wesson.
- Another cover version of the song was released in 1992 by Tejano music legend Flaco Jimenez and country singer Dwight Yoakam on the album Partners.
- GG Allin covered this song as well. He turned away from his typical hard hitting punk to do a rather serene cover. The song can be found on the album Carnival of Excess and in an acoustic version on the soundtrack to Todd Phillips' 1994 documentary Hated. In the film Allin can be seen playing the song solo on acoustic guitar. He keeps Ronstadt's lyric about the Smith & Wesson, and changes the lyrics from "playing solitaire with my pearl handled deck" to "playing Russian Roulette with my pearl-handled gun". This version was used on the finale of the third season of the Showtime series Californication, partially covered by Madeleine Martin who portrays Hank Moody's (David Duchovny) daughter.
- Willy DeVille covered the song on his 2002 album Acoustic Trio Live in Berlin.
- Adam Duritz also released a cover version of this song as part of a compilation of songs about life adjacent to the I-10 freeway, stretching from California to Florida.
- Rachel Stamp covered this song on their 'Didn't I break my heart over you' single.
- A 'punked up' version of the song was also featured on The Wildhearts covers album Stop Us If You've Heard This One Before Vol 1. This version, sung by Wildhearts bassist Scott Sorry, features the altered lyric "I pawned my Gibson Thunderbird".
- L.A. band The Bronx covered the song as a B-side for a vinyl single in 2006.
- Cross Canadian Ragweed covered the song as a hidden track on Happiness and All the Other Things. The band has also played the song live in numerous concerts.
- Social Distortion plays the song live from time to time, although it has yet not been released on any album.
- The Spanish band Los Secretos released a very successful version in Spanish called "Agárrate fuerte a mí, María", dedicated to the daughter of one of the members of the band.
- Mariachi El Bronx covered the song numerous times on their UK tour along with Prince's I Would Die 4 U.
- Widespread Panic covered the song on January 29, 2012 during the last night of a three night stand at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA during their historic, all acoustic "Wood Tour."
- FIDLAR has covered the song from time to time.
- Pokey LaFarge covered the song during his April 2, 2016 appearance in Boston, MA at Royale
- Zevon's version was featured prominently in the 2004 film Around the Bend starring Christopher Walken, Michael Caine and Josh Lucas, and in the film Looper starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Jeff Daniels.
- Izaak Opatz released a single of the song in 2018.
Izaak Opatz version
"Carmelita" | |
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![]() | |
Single by Izaak Opatz | |
from the album Mariachi Static B-Sides | |
Released | 13 July 2018 |
Recorded | 2016-17 |
Genre | Americana |
Length | 2:35 |
Label | Mama Bird Recording Co. |
Songwriter(s) | Warren Zevon |
Izaak Opatz covered the song on his EP Mariachi Static B-Sides. It was released July 13, 2018.
After releasing his debut album Mariachi Static in 2016, Opatz released a follow-up EP in July 2018. The album, Mariachi Static, got its title from a lyric in Zevon's Carmelita, and opens with, “I hear mariachi static on my radio, and the tubes they glow in the dark, and I’m there with her in Ensenada, and I’m here in Echo Park.” Opatz recorded his own take on “Carmelita,” which also appeared on Zevon’s 1976 self titled album. Opatz pays homage to the laid-back longing of the track, but adds a little rock and plenty of grit, bookending verses with crunchy guitar and employing a bare-bones production style that gives the listener the sense of being in the room as the band plays.[1]
References
- "Izaak Opatz Covers Warren Zevon's "Carmelita"". American Songwriter. 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
Carmelita at AllMusic. Retrieved 21:58, 17 December 2020 (UTC).