{t:John Riley}
{st:Tim O’Brien}

John [Dm]Riley came from Galway town
in the years of the Irish [G]hunger
And he [Dm]sailed away to America
when the [C]country [G]was much [Dm]younger
The [Dm]place was strange and work was scarce
and all he knew was [G]farming
So he [Dm]followed his other Irish friends
to a [F]job in the [C]US [Dm]Army


{soc}
Ad[F]venture calls and [Dm]some men run
and [F]this is their sad [G]story
[Dm]Some get drunk on demon rum
and [C]some get [G]drunk on [Dm]glory
{eoc}


They [Dm]marched down Texas way
to the banks of the Rio [G]Grande.
They [Dm]built a fort on the banks above
to [C]taunt old [G]Santa [Dm]Anna.
They were [Dm]treated bad, paid worse,
and then the fighting [G]started.
The [Dm]more they fought the less they thought
of the [C]damned old [G]US [Dm]Army.


{soc}
Ad[F]venture calls and [Dm]some men run
and [F]this is their sad [G]story
[Dm]Some get drunk on demon rum
and [C]some get [G]drunk on [Dm]glory
{eoc}


[Dm]When the church bells rang on Sunday morn
it set his soul a [G]shiver
He [Dm]saw the senoritas washing their hair
on the [C]far side [G]of the [Dm]river
John [Dm]Riley and two hundred more
Irish merce[G]naries
[Dm]Cast their lot, right or not,
[F]south of the [C]Rio [Dm]Grande.


{soc}
Ad[F]venture calls and [Dm]some men run
and [F]this is their sad [G]story
[Dm]Some get drunk on demon rum
and [C]some get [G]drunk on [Dm]glory
{eoc}


Now they [Dm]fought bravely under the flag
of the San Patrici[G]os,
Till the [Dm]Yankees soldiers beat them down
at the [C]battle of [G]Churub[Dm]usco.
Then [Dm]fifteen men were whipped like mules
And on their cheeks were [G]branded.
Made to [Dm]dig the graves of fifty more,
who a [C]hanging [G]fate had [Dm]handed.


{soc}
Ad[F]venture calls and [Dm]some men run
and [F]this is their sad [G]story
[Dm]Some get drunk on demon rum
and [C]some get [G]drunk on [Dm]glory
{eoc}


Now, [Dm]John Riley stands and drinks alone
at a bar in Vera [G]Cruz.
He [Dm]wonders if it matters much
if you [C]win or [G]if you [Dm]lose.
"[Dm]I'm a man who can't go home,
a vagabond", says [G]he.
"A [Dm]victim of some wanderlust
and [C]divided [G]loyalt[Dm]y."


{soc}
Ad[F]venture calls and [Dm]some men run
and [F]this is their sad [G]story
[Dm]Some get drunk on demon rum
and [C]some get [G]drunk on [Dm]glory
Ad[F]venture calls and [Dm]some men run
and [F]this is their sad [G]story
[Dm]Some get drunk on demon rum
and [C]some get [G]drunk on [Dm]glory
{eoc}