Carmelita (song)
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"Carmelita" is a rock song written by Warren Zevon. The song is another good example of Zevon's story-telling talents and ability to paint a nuanced picture of the downtrodden. The song is ostensibly about a heroin addicted writer in love with a Mexican girl, but, as with many songs on Warren Zevon, it might be more accurate to say that it is about Los Angeles than about the character in question.
The song first appeared on Zevon's 1976 self-titled solo album, but, like the album itself, initially garnered little airplay or attention.
Linda Ronstadt recorded a slightly altered version of the song on her 1977 album, Simple Dreams. Rondstadt's version includes an alternate lyric that has Ronstadt pawning her "Smith & Wesson" as opposed to Zevon's "Smith Corona" thus re-casting our hero from writer to outlaw. In a 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.
G.G. 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 his western guitar. He keeps Rondstat'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".
Willy DeVille covered the song on his 2002 album Acoustic Trio Live in Berlin.
Adam Duritz, lead singer of the Counting Crows, also released a cover version of this song.
Carmelita was also covered by The Wildhearts on their download album Stop Me if You've Heard This Before and their version was made available on their MySpace page on May 5, 2008
