south coast
the wild coast
is lonely
you may win at the game at jolon
but the lion still rules the barranca
and a man there is always alone
my name is juan hano de castro
my father was a spanish grandee
but i won my wife in a card game
when a man lost his daughter to me
i picked up the ace
i had won her
my heart
which was down at my feet
jumped up to my throat in a hurry
like a warm summers' day
she was sweet
south coast
the wild coast
is lonely
you may win at the game at jolon
but the lion still rules the barranca
and a man there is always alone
her arms had to tighten around me as we rode up the hills from the south
not a word did i hear from her that day or a kiss from her pretty red mouth
we came to my cabin at twilight
the stars twinkled out on the coast
she soon loved the valley
the orchard
but i knew that she loved me the most
south coast
the wild coast
is lonely
you may win at the game at jolon
but the lion still rules the barranca
and a man there is always alone
then i got hurt in a landslide with crushed hip and twice-broken bone
she saddled our pony like lightning
rode off in the night
all alone
the lion screamed in the barranca; the pony fell back on the slide
my young wife lay dead in the moonlight
my heart died that night with my bride
south coast
the wild coast
is lonely
you may win at the game at jolon
but the lion still rules the barranca
and a man there is always alone
daughters were possessions
to be bet away or arranged marriages for; also
note the use of young wife" in the final stanza. her shyness "had to tighten" and her silent reticence but adaptable "soon loved." indicates no previous marriage