From one Jeepster to another (I'm on my 5th and 6th), here ya go! -- Rob-o

JOHN RILEY

[A-] John Riley came from [C] Galway Town in the [A-] years of the Irish [D] hunger

And he [A-] sailed away to [C] Amerikay when the [G] country was much younger [A-] . . .

Now the place was strange and [C] work was scarce, and [A-] all he knew was farming [D]

So he [A-] followed his other [C] Irish friends to a [G] job in the U S [A-] Army

CHORUS:

[C] Adventure calls and [A-] some men run

And [C] this is their sad [D] story

[A-] Some get drunk on [C] demon rum And [G] some get drunk on [A-] glory . . .

Now they marched down [C] Texas way to the [A-] banks of the Rio [D] Granday

And they [A-] built a fort on the [C] banks above to [G] taunt old Santa [A-] Annay . . .

They were [A-] treated bad and [C] paid worse, and [A-] then the fighting [D] started

And the [A-] more they fought the [C] less they thought of the [G] damn old U S [A-] Army

CHORUS

Now when the church bells ring on a [C] Sunday morn it [A-] set his soul to [D] shiver

He saw the [A-] senoritas [C] washing their hair on the [G] far side of the [A-] river . . .

Then John Riley and 200 [C] more [A-] Irish mercen[D]aries They [A-] cast their lot, [C] right or not, [G] south of the Rio [A-] Granday

CHORUS

Now they fought bravely [C] under the flag of the [A-] San Patricios [D]

Till the [A-] Yankee soldiers [C] beat them down at the [G] battle of Churu[A-]busco . . .

Then 15 men were [C] whipped like mules, on their [A-] cheeks had a hot iron [D] branded

They had to [A-] dig the graves of [C] 50 more who were [G] hanging fate-in-[A-]handed

CHORUS then full INSTR verse

Now John Riley stands and [C] drinks alone at a [A-] bar in Vera [D] Cruz,

And he [A-] wonders if it [C] matters much if you [G] win or if-a you [A-] lose . . .

"I'm a man who [C] can't go home, I'm a [A-] vagabond," says [D] he,

"I'm a [A-] victim of some [C] wanderlust and [G] divided loyal[A-]ty."

CHORUS (Twice)