Discover the story of the song > Carmelita – Warren Zevon

The protagonist is listening to mariachi music on his radio and he imagines being with his partner in a place called Ensenada, while he is actually in Echo Park. He's struggling with a heroin addiction and is playing solitaire with a pearl-handled deck, unable to get more methadone or receive welfare benefits. He has pawned his typewriter to meet his drug dealer, who hangs out near a fast food restaurant on Alvarado Street. Throughout the song, he repeatedly asks for his partner Carmelita to hold him tighter, as he feels like he's sinking deeper into his addiction.