The Ballad of Bull Ramos

The Ballad of Bull Ramos
Album	Beat the Champ
Released	April 7, 2015
Length	2:53
Previous Track	"Unmasked!"
Next Track	"Hair Match"

The Ballad of Bull Ramos is the 12th song on Beat the Champ.

Lyrics

Drive a great big truck
When I'm old, when I'm old
Haul the wrecks down to the wreck yard
Help the boys unload
Keep my hair nice and long
Because I can, because I can
Any of my old friends who have no place to turn to
They know to call me any time they come through

Never die, never die
Stand with a bullwhip in my hand
And rise, rise
In the desert sand

Work days, work nights
Finally get laid up
By a piece of broken glass 
On the floor of the shop
And the doctor recognizes me
As the operating theater goes dim
Aren't you that old wrestler with the bullwhip?
Yes sir, that's me, I'm him

Get around fine on one leg
Lose a kidney, then go blind
Sit on my porch in Houston
Let the good times dance across my mind 

Never die, never die
Stand with a bullwhip in my hand
And rise, rise
Surrounded by friends

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song

• "He was the master of the Indian rope match. He was a professional wrestler. He is gone now. This is called 'The Ballad of Bull Ramos'." -- 2014-07-25 - Merge 25 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
• "There's a thing about the minor villain wrestlers from the local territories that was great because you'd be really scared of them and their powers, but you'd go to another territory and nobody's ever heard of them. Just this guy who's terrorizing Los Angeles and in San Francisco, he can't get arrested for stealing from a convenience store. This is called 'The Ballad of Bull Ramos.'" -- 2015-04-11 - City Winery - New York, NY

Things Referenced in this Song

• Apache Bull Ramos (1937—2006) was a professional wrestler from Houston, Texas. After he retired from wrestling, he ran a wrecking service in his hometown. In the later years of his life he suffered from kidney problems, went blind due to his diabetes, and lost a toe after stepping on a piece of glass.

Live Shows this Song Was Played at

• 2014-02-26 - A.V. Club Pioneering Session - Bowery Electric - New York, NY
• 2014-07-25 - Merge 25 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
• 2015-04-03 - The Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
• 2015-04-04 - The Jinx - Savannah, GA
• 2015-04-07 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
• 2015-04-08 - 9:30 Club - Washington, D.C.
• 2015-04-09 - Webster Hall - New York, NY
• 2015-04-11 - One on One Session - City Winery - New York, NY
• 2015-04-11 - City Winery - New York, NY
• 2015-04-12 - City Winery - New York, NY
• 2015-04-13 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA
• 2015-04-16 - Bogart's - Cincinnati, OH
• 2015-05-08 - Shaky Knees Festival - Atlanta, GA
• 2015-05-31 - Amoeba Records - San Francisco, CA
• 2015-06-04 - Pappy and Harriet's - Pioneertown, CA
• 2015-06-07 - Houston Free Press Festival - Houston, TX
• 2015-09-08 - Off Broadway - St. Louis, MO
• 2015-10-03 - Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC
• 2015-10-04 - Saturn - Birmingham, AL
• 2015-10-05 - 40 Watt Club - Athens, GA
• 2015-10-07 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• 2015-10-08 - The Beacham Theatre - Orlando, FL
• 2015-10-09 - Colonial Quarter - St. Augustine, FL
• 2015-10-10 - The Orpheum - Tampa, FL
• 2015-11-13 - Art School - Glasgow, Scotland
• 2015-11-14 - The Green Room - Newstalk - Dublin, Ireland
• 2015-11-14 - Whelan's - Dublin, Ireland
• 2015-11-15 - Gorilla - Manchester, England
• 2015-11-18 - Komedia - Brighton, England
• 2015-11-19 - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, England
• 2015-11-20 - Autumn Falls Festival - Le Botanique - Brussels, Belgium
• 2015-11-23 - Heliogàbal - Barcelona, Spain
• 2016-04-01 - Bearsville Theater - Woodstock, NY
• 2017-04-11 - The Toff in Town - Melbourne, Australia
• 2017-04-12 - The Corner Hotel - Melbourne, Australia

Videos of this Song

• 2014-07-25 - Merge 25 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
• 2015-04-11 - One on One Session - City Winery - New York, NY
• 2015-11-19 - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, England