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 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 bank man 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 again

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 pens
We'll ride again