Here is a song by Tim O'Brien:

Lyr. Add: JOHN RILEY (Patricio)

[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-] senotitas [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 faded [A-] handed

Chorus: then full INSTR verse, slows with last line

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)
br> It has been determined that Riley went back to Ireland. There were stories of his becoming a derelict in Vera Cruz, but these were incorrect. The men who stayed in Mexico had families, and their descendants are posting genealogical data.
Riley
Not the Irish song John Riley in the DT.