Texas Monthly.

Hey there, this is John Spong with Texas Monthly magazine, and this is One by Willie,

a podcast in which I talk each week to one notable Willie Nelson fan about one Willie song that they really love.

This week, Alejandro Escavedo is our guest.

He's a major figure of the West Coast punk scene of the 70s,

who then went on to ride heard over the Americana music scene through the 90s and ever since.

And he's here to talk about Willie's

1963 single Half a Man. It's a song that peaked at number 25 on the country

charts for Willie way back when, and it makes Alejandro think of his father, ghost stories,

old pot dealers, and the left field cow punk music video that Alejandro made and that first

put him on Willie's radar. Let's do it.

It's hard. If I'd only had one arm to hold you.

Better yet if I had none at all.

I think the place to start is, when did you find this song?

Who were you and who was the Escovedo family and how did this song come in here life?

Well, it's funny because my father always loved country music.

You know, when we were living here in San Antonio when I was a child,

we'd go to see as many country musicians and rodeos as we would, Mexican singers and chattyadas.

So my dad was always into it. When we moved to California in 57, there was actually a car salesman by the name of

Cal Worthington who had a car lot called Cal Worthington Dodge, you know.

And he was one of these grand hucksters who wrote an elephant in to do his commercial.

And he would always say, you know, like bring the kids.

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