American Remains

I am a shotgun rider for the San Jacinto line

The desert is my brother. My skin is cracked and dry

I was ridin' on a folk coach, and everything was fine

Till we took a shorter road to save some time

The bandits only fired once, they shot me in the chest

They may have wounded me, but they'll never get the best of better men

'Cause i'll ride again

I am a river gambler. I make a livin' dealin' cards

My clothes are smoothed and honest. My heart is cold and hard

I was shufflin' for some delta boys on a boat for New Orleans

I was the greatest shark they'd ever seen

But the captain bumped a sandbar, and an ace fell from my sleeve

They threw me overboard as I swore I didn't cheat. But I could swim

And I'll ride again

We are heroes of the homeland, American remains

We live in many faces, and answer many names

We will not be forgotten, we won't be left behind

Our memories live on in mortal minds and poets's pens

We'll ride again

I am a midwest farmer. I make a livin' off the land

I ride a John Deere tractor. I'm a liberated man

But the rain, it hasn't fallen since the middle of July

And if it don't come soon, my crops will die

The bankman says he likes me, but there's nothin' he can do

He tells me that he's comin', but the clouds are comin' too; he ain't my friend

And I'll ride agin

I am an American indian. My tribe is Cherokee

My forefathers loved this land. They left it here for me

But the white men came with boats and trains and dirty factories

Poisoned my existence with his deeds

Nature is our mother, we are sucklin' at her breast

He who tries to beat 'er down will lose her to the rest. They'll never win

I'll ride again

We are heroes of the homeland, American remains

We live in many faces, and answer many names

We will not be forgotten, we won't be left behind

Our memories live on in mortal minds and poets's pens

We'll ride again