John Riley Chords

Standard (EADGBE)

Dm John Riley came from F Galway Town in the Dm years of the Irish G hunger

 And he Dm sailed away to F Amerikay when the C country was much younger Dm . . .

 Now the place was strange and F work was scarce, and Dm all he knew was farming G

 So he Dm followed his other F Irish friends to a C job in the U S Dm Army

Chorus

  F Adventure calls and Dm some men run

  And F this is their sad G story

  Dm Some get drunk on F demon rum And C some get drunk on Dm glory

 Now they marched down F Texas way to the Dm banks of the Rio G Grande

 And they Dm built a fort on the F banks above to C taunt old Santa Dm Annay

 They were Dm treated bad and F paid worse, and Dm then the fighting G started

 And the Dm more they fought the F less they thought of the C damn old U S Dm Army

Chorus

 Now when the church bells ring on a F Sunday morn it Dm set his soul to G shiver

 He saw the Dm senoritas F washing their hair on the C far side of the Dm river

 Then John Riley and 200 F more Dm Irish mercenGaries

 They Dm cast their lot, F right or not, C south of the Rio Dm Granday

Chorus

 Now they fought bravely F under the flag of the Dm San Patricios G

 Till the Dm Yankee soldiers F beat them down at the C battle of ChuruDmbusco

 Then 15 men were F whipped like mules, on their Dm cheeks had a hot iron G branded

 They had to Dm dig the graves of F 50 more who were C hanging fate-in-Dmhanded

CHORUS then full INSTR verse

 Now John Riley stands and F drinks alone at a Dm bar in Vera G Cruz,

 And he Dm wonders if it F matters much if you C win or if-a you Dm lose

 "I'm a man who F can't go home, I'm a Dm vagabond," says G he,

 "I'm a Dm victim of some F wanderlust and C divided loyalDmty."