“The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” belongs to the European border ballad tradition, which dates to the Middle Ages. When the Spanish colonized the lower Rio Grande region, they brought the hero ballad with them. Over time, the Mexicanization of the ballad produced the style commonly referred to as a corrido. In this form, the hero ballad morphed from one that simply recounts the exploits of social bandits who steal from the rich, to one that offers socio-political commentary concerning race, class, and political injustice. This ballad is better known by its Spanish name, “El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez,” and its origin stems from the notoriety Cortez gained for killing two sheriffs in Texas, one in self-defense and the other in a shootout typical of western lore.