Jai Alai - Tom Russell

He was a Basque from San Sebastian, he came here in '51

Made his bones along the border in the Jai Alai frontons

With a cesta on his hand he threw his heart against the wall

He was the master of the dance in the fastest game of all

He had blood inside his eye, he threw his heart, he let it fly

He was the master of the dance, the king of Jai Alai

What does it mean to you and I?

Swing your heart and let it fly

Love is a deadly dance just like Jai Alai

He met a woman deeper than the songs in the Cante Hondo bars

They made love outside the racetrack in his long black touring car

But love took all his passion, how the fire still twists and burns

Throw your heart against the wall, it might not return

He wrote a postcard from Bilbao, said the games were mostly gone

Just a memory to the old men who live in bars and gypsy songs

But oh, that crack of thunder when the pelota hit the wall

Love and Jai Alai were the fastest games of all

His passion never died but these nights he sleeps alone

Seeing her face reflected on the walls of border town frontons

The games have mostly died but old men too proud to cry

Live on memories of love and Jai Alai