L'Esperance, Danny

Socorro, New Mexico. Traditionally, tragedy strikes on St. John's Day (June 24th). In this ballad a youngman, Juan, warns his girl, Micaela, that he is going to kill his rival, Simon. Micaela goes to the dance with Simon. At midnight a shot is heard and two bodies fall, mortally wounded, on the dance floor. They are the bodies of Micaela and Simon. Quality: Good.

Socorro, New Mexico. One Sunday before dawn a young man, Felipe, and a rival are fighting. Felipe's father comes upon the scene and tells his son to stop fighting. The young man disobeys his father and a few seconds later falls mortally wounded. Before he dies, Felipe begs his father to bury him out on the prairie. Quality: Good.

Socorro, New Mexico. A young man passes by a girl's window and falls in love with her. She is delicate as a flower, and it turns out that her name is Flor (flower). The two enjoy some months of friendship before the young man has to leave town. When he returns, he finds out that Flor died in his absence. Quality: Good.

Socorro, New Mexico. Like Juan Charrasqueado, Gabino Barreras has illegitimate children throughout the countryside. One night, as he comes out of his girlfriend's home shouting "Viva Zapata!," a great number of his enemies gang up on him and shoot him down. Quality: Good.

Socorro, New Mexico. A braggart, Juan Charrasqueado, goes wild in the countryside, "plucking" all the tender "flowers" that he chances to encounter. One Sunday afternoon, in a bar, relatives and friends of his latest victim catch up to the malefactor and kill him. Quality: Good

Socorro, New Mexico. A boy is missing his green-eyed girlfriend. He hopes that wherever she may be wandering, she still loves him and remembers how much he cares for her. Quality: Good.

Socorro, New Mexico. Going to a dance against her mother's wishes costs Rosita Alvires her life. When the young woman gets on the dance floor, she slights her boyfriend, Hipolito. The young man resents being made a fool of and shoots Rosita three times. "Luckily for Rosita," the ballad says, "although she received three bullet wounds, only one was fatal." Quality: Good

Socorro, New Mexico. A young man complains that his girlfriend is putting him off. He feels that the girl is rejecting him because she knows he is poor. He tells her that she will be the death of him yet. Quality: Good.