Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard team up on “Pancho & Lefty,” the title track of their iconic 1983 duet album. Written by Townes Van Zandt, the song tells a cinematic tale of loyalty, betrayal, and outlaw myth—painted through Nelson’s gentle lilt and Haggard’s rugged baritone. It’s one of their most enduring collaborations. Released in 1983, Pancho & Lefty was recorded in studios in Texas and Nashville and quickly rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart. Their version of the song bec