El Fusilado

Listen close to this crooked mouth

For my story I will tell–o

Lived in Mexico by the name of Wenseslao Moguel–o

Left my home in Santiago

The heart of the city of Merida

Served with my brothers and sisters all

For the army of Pancho Villa

Stand me straight against the nearest wall

Line up your bravest soldiers oh

Ten good shots I'll take them all

They call me El Fusilado

The Federales captured me

Bound up my arms with wire

Officer comes he says “Take your aim –

Steady your guns and fire!”

Bullet holes all across my chest

Ripped up my shirt and my body–o

Heart beat on through the silenced guns

To the rhythm of life inside me–o

Stand me straight against the nearest wall

Line up your bravest soldiers oh

Ten good shots I'll take them all

They call me El Fusilado

Fell to the ground the officer came

One last shot to the head­–o

Heard through the pain as he walked away

And left me there for dead–o

All went quiet so I crawled away

I wasn't giving up to the glory

Ten good shots I took them all

And lived to tell my story

Stand me straight against the nearest wall

Line up your bravest soldiers oh

Ten good shots I'll take them all

They call me El Fusilado.

A true story. Wenseslao Moguel was captured while fighting in the Mexican revolution in 1915 and without trial sentenced to face the firing squad, ‘las sentencias al paredon'. After being shot by the squad, and despite receiving the ‘tiro de gracia' (shot at close range by the captain), Wenseslao somehow survived. He managed to escape and spent much of his life touring the USA with the ‘Ripley's Believe It Or Not' travelling museum.