How many featured articles can there be about Rosa’s Cantina and Marty Robbins’ song “El Paso”? The answer, one more. Simply put, the cantina, Marty Robbins and the song are too good, too juicy, if you will, to not add one more article to the list.
There are times, especially in the desert southwest, where the nights are clear and the air is dry, that the stars align and the right country star is at the right cantina, and there is that certain mystical something floating in the air, that, combined, make for the writing of a darned good story and an even better song.
Image caption: Rosa’s Cantina (Photo courtesy of Rick Pawlenty, who traveled from Minnesota to visit Rosa’s Cantina)
Next to the Rio Grande, where the badlands of Texas, New Mexico, and the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, all meet, sits a quaint little building with a whole lot of history called Rosa’s Cantina, Rosa’s for short, as many of the El Paso locals call it. The cantina, made famous as the setting of the ear-bugging Robbins song “El Paso,” in which a lovestruck gunslinger is shot to his death for falling in love with the “wicked” Felina, brandishes that old western motif of a horse tied up to a front post and the swinging doors of a cantina ominously inviting you in. Today, the historic Rosa’s remains in the exact modest location, the old rock building on Doniphan Drive in West El Paso, facing what used to be the main road between El Paso, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, that eventually became Interstates I-10 and I-25. Rosa’s operates now as an international tourist attraction, bringing in patrons from all over the world: Japan, China, Russia, Spain, Brazil and others.
As other articles tell it, rumor has it that a Robbins fan once rode a horse 2,000 miles from Canada to El Paso in search of the famous cantina. Truth or myth, the aura of Rosa’s as legendary is the stuff of good stories.
Roberto (Beto) Zubia and his wife, Anita, founded Rosa’s in 1957 when they purchased the Los Tigres bar. Current owner Oscar Lopez said Los Tigres opened in the early 1940s, post-prohibition, and, in 1957, Zubia renamed it Rosa’s Cantina, allegedly after a waitress who was possibly embroiled in a torrid affair. Ooh, spicey! Clint Lanier of Bucket List Bars said that during that time the cantina resided in an area called “Smeltertown,” after the ASARCO (American Smelting and Refining Company) plant on which much of the community relied for its livelihood. Many workers stopped by after quitting time for a meal and drink or to wind down after a long day of work at the plant. Rosa’s served only lunch during that time and operated solely as a bar in the evening. At lunchtime, patrons savored Anita Zubia’s delicious traditional Mexican dishes of red enchiladas, chile rellenos, tapatias and more. Mmmm! The mere thought of her platters can drive any western gunslinger to fall in love . . . with her cooking, that is.
As many articles recite the incident, in 1959, country-western singer Marty Robbins is said to have passed through El Paso on his way to Nashville, Tennessee, and stopped at Rosa’s, where he found inspiration for his now-famous song “El Paso.” Accounts differ on which direction Robbins traveled. Some have him going from El Paso to Nashville, while others say he traveled from Nashville to El Paso. One story contends that Robbins headed toward the twinkling lights of El Paso and Juárez and pulled over at the saloon to stretch his legs and grab a bite. Perhaps a whiff still lingering in the air of Anita Zubia’s enchiladas drew him in. Who knows? With the cantina closed, Robbins surveyed the area, the story claims, then hopped back in his car (I was tempted to write “horse” here, but I will stick with “car.”) and headed toward Phoenix, his hometown. Some have him heading home at Christmastime. As the story goes, by the time Robbins reached Phoenix, he had completed the ballad.
Zubia frequently fielded one question in particular: Did Robbins really eat at Rosa’s, reported Helen Williams of the El Paso Times. Zubia said he never met Robbins, so he wasn’t sure. “Some guys tell me he was drinking across the way at the racetrack and saw our sign and said he was going to write a song,” said Zubia. “Some say he was flying over in an airplane. I guess we’ll never know.”
Image caption: A Young Marty Robbins (Photo courtesy of Cliff/Wikimedia Commons
However, in a January 15, 1960, interview, Robbins told what seems to be the closest version of the story to interviewer Marshall Hail. Robbins said of the saloon, “I’ve never been able to find Rosa’s place myself. People are always asking me if it is a real bar in Juarez or El Paso.” Later in the interview, Robbins recounted that he drove into El Paso on the Carlsbad highway at night with the shimmering lights of El Paso and Juarez splattered ahead of him. “That view inspired me,” Robbins said. “The words came to me right then – a song about El Paso. I worked on it later, but it was too long. Columbia wouldn’t record it. I worked it over again and again,” Robbins related. “I worked on that song for three years, off and on. But instead of making it shorter, it got longer. I couldn’t tell the story in less than four minutes and 37 seconds. Finally, I gave up,” Robbins said. “I couldn’t make the song any shorter. So, Columbia went ahead and recorded it – four minutes and 37 seconds long [an exceptionally long song for the time period]. Well, it sold pretty well.” And it sold pretty well indeed. At the time of the 1960 interview, the ballad had sold 3,500,000 records. Wow! Whatever the real story is, we can all safely presume that Robbins’ fleeting visit to Rosa’s gave birth to at least the opening line of “El Paso”: Out in the West Texas town of El Paso. Now I’m going to be singing it all day.
Columbia recorded “El Paso” in 1959. To put it into perspective, in 1959, a chartered plane transporting Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper crashed in foggy conditions near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all musicians and pilot Roger Peterson, the tragedy later to be called “The Day the Music Died,” popularized in Don McLean’s 1972 song “American Pie”; A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, opened on Broadway in New York City; Gigi won the Oscar for best picture; Miles Davis released his influential jazz album Kind of Blue; and MGM’s widescreen multimillion-dollar, Technicolor version of Ben Hur, starring Charlton Heston, was released and became the studio’s biggest hit up to that time. The ballad does run four minutes and 37 seconds, and journalist Tom Adkinson recalled that radio stations complained the song ran too long for radio play. Some YouTube videos show Robbins performing his song at two minutes and 13 seconds, while others show him in his later years performing the entire four minutes and 37 seconds. You have got to listen to the more extended, original version. It tells the complete story of that lovestruck gunslinger and the notorious Felina. We have to know how the story ends, right?
The song became a major hit in 1960, reaching number one on both the country and pop music charts. It won a Grammy for Best Country and Western Recording in 1961.
And for all of the deadheads out there, The Grateful Dead’s take on “El Paso” rendered the ballad’s most famous cover, performing it from 1969 through July 5, 1995, three days before their final show. On the live album Ladies and Gentlemen...The Grateful Dead, they introduce it as their “most requested number.” Nice!
Interesting to note, “El Paso” contains a lilting rhythm, a sort of drone that you can’t help but sing out loud, an earworm in thousands of heads when the words “El Paso” are sung.
I know. It’s been in my head since the beginning of this article. It tells the fictional story of a gunfighter catching a “wild young cowboy” drinking with the enchanted Felina and shooting him dead, only to run out the back door. It is the quintessential gunslinger ballad, a tale of love gone awry. Maybe we can relate. Zubia kept a jukebox in the dining room of Rosa’s, and the Robbins song played at least 25 times per week on that jukebox. Go, Marty!
When passing by Rosa’s today, it may be hard to believe that it is known worldwide with the weathered, whitewashed paint on its stone walls and unpaved parking lot. Journalist Ramon Renteria said that former State Senator Eliot Shapleigh described Rosa’s as an El Paso neighborhood spot with a long legacy. “Rosa’s is such a unique place. On any given night, you’ll find a lawyer, a jockey from the racetrack, a worker back from the fields and a teacher sitting at the same table.” That’s El Paso for you, united and inviting.
In 2007, years after Beto and Anita Zubia passed away, their family sold the cantina to Adolfo Telles and his daughter Patricia Telles. The Telles based their decision to buy the bar mainly on its historic appeal. Patricia Telles stated that she had no desire to purchase any other bar and wanted to be a part of its history. In an interview, Patricia mentions that it amazes her that so many native El Pasoans have never heard of the Robbins song or Rosa’s. What? Yet every day tourists stop by from all over the world to check it out and sign the guest book. Although the place needed to be updated, they did not want to take away the historical ambiance that kept the “regulars” coming back. They did, however, update the lighting, change some decor, added live music and merchandise. Who doesn’t want merchandise? Every Friday and Saturday evening (pre and post Covid-19), you will find local DJs and live bands entertaining the guests, along with karaoke and dancing on the spacious dance floor. The bands range from old rock, country, Tejano, cumbia, and mariachi, basically anything you can dance to. “A lot of bands that I hire to play at Rosa’s get hired to play at other bars after they hear them here, and then they never come back,” Patricia Telles said with a smirk, “probably because they pay more.” Aw. But to say I played at Rosa’s Cantina is worth more than a few extra bucks. Just thinking out loud here.
Prime TheRockshow, a well-known local band specializing in private events, festivals, weddings, themed events and music venues throughout El Paso, frequently performs at Rosa’s. The band entertains crowds with a variety of music from the ‘70s and ‘80s, classic rock, retro, and Latin music. Danny Carrasco, guitar player, keyboardist and vocalist for the band, said that Prime TheRockshow plays at Rosa’s once every two months or so. His favorite thing about performing there is the enthusiastic and responsive audience. Can’t beat that!
Image caption: Marty Robbins, Country Western Classics
A patron of Rosa’s and big fan of Prime TheRockshow, Yvette Diaz, moved to El Paso in late 2015. Yvette and her husband, Raul, enjoy checking out different bars and restaurants and try to catch local bands at least once a week. Yevette, familiar with the Robbins song before moving to El Paso, made it a goal to find Rosa’s. She now frequents the cantina and brings new friends with her each time. “It’s the atmosphere of the bar and the diversity of people that I enjoy most,” said Yevette, “and of course the music.” Don’t forget the food and drinks!
Along with the history and live music that keeps Rosa’s an essential part of El Paso’s music scene, in 2018, Leon Bridges, an American soul singer and songwriter from Fort Worth, Texas, filmed his official video for the song “Beyond” inside of the building. Throughout the video, Bridges and his date enjoy drinks at one of the red and white checkered tables and dance while the band plays in the background. They also share a moment outside of the front doors where you can almost see the entire original “Rosa’s Cantina” sign.
Without Rosa’s claim to Robbins’ “El Paso,” the cantina would likely be just another rundown, family-owned bar and restaurant on Doniphan Drive. What began as a simple watering hole where smelters would hang out at quitting time to sit back and enjoy a drink and a meal, Rosa’s is now a lively joint, rich with history, worldwide name recognition, live local music and the beloved jukebox. Oscar Lopez, the current owner of Rosa’s Cantina, reminds visitors that Rosa’s still rides the wave that the Robbins’ song unleashed.
If you happen to stop by Rosa’s Cantina to check it out, please do not forget to sign the guestbook. Out in the West Texas town of El Paso/I fell in love with a Mexican girl….
Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican girl
Nighttime would find me in Rosa’s Cantina
Music would play and Felina would whirl
Blacker than night were the eyes of Felina
Wicked and evil while casting a spell
My love was deep for this Mexican maiden
I was in love, but in vain I could tell
One night a wild young cowboy came in
Wild as the West Texas wind
Dashing and daring, a drink he was sharing
With wicked Felina, the girl that I loved
So in anger I challenged his right for the love of this maiden
Down went his hand for the gun that he wore
My challenge was answered in less than a heartbeat
The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor
Just for a moment I stood there in silence
Shocked by the foul evil deed I had done
Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there
I had but one chance and that was to run
Out through the back door of Rosa’s I ran
Out where the horses were tied
I caught a good one, it looked like it could run
Up on its back and away I did ride
Just as fast as I could from the West Texas town of El Paso
Out to the badlands of New Mexico
Back in El Paso my life would be worthless
Everything’s gone, in life nothing is left
It’s been so long since I’ve seen the young maiden
My love is stronger than my fear of death
I saddled up and away I did go
Riding alone in the dark
Maybe tomorrow a bullet may fi nd me
Tonight nothing’s worse than this pain in my heart
And at last here I am on the hill overlooking El Paso
I can see Rosa’s Cantina below
My love is strong and it pushes me onward
Down off the hill to Felina I go
Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys
Off to my left ride a dozen or more
Shouting and shooting, I can’t let them catch me
I have to make it to Rosa’s back door
Something is dreadfully wrong, for I feel
A deep burning pain in my side
Though I am trying to stay in the saddle
I’m getting weary, unable to ride
But my love for Felina is strong and I rise where I’ve fallen
Though I am weary, I can’t stop to rest
I see the white puff of smoke from the riflle
I feel the bullet go deep in my chest
From out of nowhere Felina has found me
Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side
Cradled by two loving arms that I’ll die for
One little kiss, then Felina good-bye
