Album version
Well Miguel came from a small town in northern Mexico
He came north with his brother Louis to California three years ago
They crossed at the river levee when Louis was just sixteen
And found work together in the fields of the San Joaquin
They left their homes and family, their father said, "My sons one thing you will learn
For everything the north gives, it exacts a price in return"
They worked side by side in the orchards from morning till the day was through
Doing the work the hueros wouldn't do
Word was out some men in from Sinaloa were looking for some hands
Well deep in Fresno County there was a deserted chicken ranch
And there in a small tin shack on the edge of a ravine
Miguel and Louis stood cooking methamphetamine
You could spend a year in the orchards or make half as much in one ten-hour shift
Working for the men from Sinaloa, ah, but if you slipped
The hydriodic acid could burn right through your skin
They'd leave you spitting up blood in the desert if you breathed those fumes in
It was early one winter evening as Miguel stood watch outside
When the shack exploded, lighting up the valley night
Miguel carried Louis's body over his shoulder down a swale to the creek side
And there in the tall grass Louis Rosales died
Miguel lifted Louis's body into his truck and then he drove
To where the morning sunlight fell on a eucalyptus grove
There in the dirt he dug up ten thousand dollars, all that they'd saved
Kissed his brother's lips and placed him in his grave
SINALOA COWBOYS is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 1995 album The Ghost Of Tom Joad. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of SINALOA COWBOYS as released in 1995.
In the liner notes of The Ghost Of Tom Joad album, Bruce Springsteen cites several sources, including Mark Arax and Tom Gordon's "California's Illicit Farm Belt Export" article from the 13 Mar 1995 issue of the Los Angeles Times. The front-page story, which uses the term "Sinaloa Cowboys", was the inspiration for Springsteen's song.
For his 1999 book Point Blank, Christopher Sandford interviewd Mark Arax. "Not long later," Arax said, "I got a call. It was [Springsteen's assistant] Terry Magovern saying, in effect, 'Bruce liked it. He wants me to ask you some questions.' I gave him a few colloquial phrases and local colour. Apparently Springsteen wanted some, quote, evocative images, such as what type of trees grow in the valley. Eucalyptus, I told him. Later, I got a second call. This one was for 'cheat notes', mainly Spanish-language terms. Eventually, I worked up a memo called 'Images From the Meth Fields' and sent it on.
SINALOA COWBOYS was recorded sometime between March and August 1995 at Thrill Hill Recording (Springsteen's home studio) in Beverly Hills, CA. On this track, Springsteen handles guitar, keyboards, and vocals. The track, as well as the rest of the album, was produced by Bruce Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin and recorded and mixed by Toby Scott at Thrill Hill Recording.
Following the Jan-Feb 1995 studio reunion with the E Street Band and the release of Greatest Hits, Bruce Springsteen writing activity increased significantly. Between March and September 1995, Springsteen wrote and recorded about two-albums worth of new songs. From the scattered comments made by Springsteen and other session participants, it would seem that over an album's worth of solo material and over an album's worth of band material were recorded during these sessions. The Ghost Of Tom Joad album consist of 7 solo tracks and 5 band tracks. The songs Springsteen recorded solo may have spanned the entire session period and the band sessions appear to have been split into two or three phases during the spring and summer of 1995.
In his 1998 book Songs, Springsteen wrote: "I knew that The Ghost of Tom Joad wouldn't attract my largest audience. But I was sure the songs on it added up to a reaffirmation of the best of what I do. The record was something new, but it was also a reference point to the things I tried to stand for and be about as a songwriter.
The Ghost Of Tom Joad was released on Columbia Records on 21 Nov 1995. It was produced by Bruce Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1997.
The Ghost Of Tom Joad features 12 new Springsteen compositions and clocks at 50:16.
The album version of SINALOA COWBOYS appears on one more official release.
Other versions of SINALOA COWBOYS were also officially released.
In preparation for The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour, SINALOA COWBOYS was performed during the tour's public warm-up rehearsal show that took place on 21 Nov 1995 at State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. The song was played solo on acoustic guitar and harmonica.
SINALOA COWBOYS was performed 128 times during The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour (128 dates, November 1995 to May 1997); that is every single one of the tour's regular dates. On this tour, the song was played solo on acoustic guitar and harmonica. The live 08 Dec 1995 version of SINALOA COWBOYS was released on the Columbia Records Radio Hour Part 1 & 2 radio show in 1995. The live 19 Mar 1996 version of SINALOA COWBOYS was released on the King's Hall, Belfast March 19, 1996 official live download in 2017. The live 08 Nov 1996 version of SINALOA COWBOYS was released on the Freehold, NJ 1996 Saint Rose Of Lima School Gym official live download in 2018. The live 24 Nov 1996 version of SINALOA COWBOYS was released on the Asbury Park 11/24/96 official live download in 2019. The live 18 May 1997 version of SINALOA COWBOYS was released on the Nice, France 1997 official live download in 2021.
SINALOA COWBOYS was performed once during what is known as The Reunion Tour (132 dates, April 1999 to July 2000), on 28 Oct 1999 in Oakland, CA. The song was played in a unique full-band arrangement. See the live 28 Oct 1999 version for more details.
SINALOA COWBOYS was performed twice during the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour (72 dates, April to November 2005). On this tour, the song was played solo on acoustic guitar and harmonica.
SINALOA COWBOYS was performed off-tour on 28 Oct 1995 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA, during the ninth Bridge School Benefit concert. The song was played solo on acoustic guitar and harmonica. See the live 28 Oct 1995 version for more details.
SINALOA COWBOYS was performed off-tour on 19 and 20 Feb 2003 at Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA, during the DoubleTake Magazine benefit shows. The song was played The song was played solo on acoustic guitar.
At least 3 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's SINALOA COWBOYS.
List of available versions of SINALOA COWBOYS on this website:
SINALOA COWBOYS [Album version]
