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I Did What I Did for Maria

I Did What I Did For Maria was a Top 20 hit in 1971 for Tony Christie. The song is about a widower who, on the eve of his execution, recalls how he avenged his dead wife with no visible remorse, hence the title.

It has a 'mariachi' sound, and to modern listeners can sound like Tom Jones-style easy listening until one registers lyrics such as the chorus:^{[citation needed]}

Take an eye for an eye

and a life for a life

and somebody must die

for the death of my wife

A music video, available on YouTube as of March 14, 2007, shows Christie performing the song to a live audience, with his usual smile, including when the chorus was sung. While the song is a fatalistic murder ballad, this was not reflected in tone of voice or facial expression.