;John Riley
;Tim O’Brien
 
.     Dm
 John Riley came from Galway town
.                          G
 in the years of the Irish hunger
.       Dm
 And he sailed away to America
.         C       G        Dm
 when the country was much younger
.    Dm
 The place was strange and work was scarce
.                    G
 and all he knew was farming
.      Dm
 So he followed his other Irish friends
.     F          C  Dm
 to a job in the US Army
 
 
[chorus]
.  F                 Dm
 Adventure calls and some men run
.    F                 G
 and this is their sad story
.Dm
 Some get drunk on demon rum
.    C        G        Dm
 and some get drunk on glory
[]
 
 
.     Dm
 They marched down Texas way
.                        G
 to the banks of the Rio Grande.
.     Dm
 They built a fort on the banks above
.   C         G     Dm
 to taunt old Santa Anna.
.          Dm
 They were treated bad, paid worse,
.                      G
 and then the fighting started.
.    Dm
 The more they fought the less they thought
.       C          G  Dm
 of the damned old US Army.
 
 
[chorus]
.  F                 Dm
 Adventure calls and some men run
.    F                 G
 and this is their sad story
.Dm
 Some get drunk on demon rum
.    C        G        Dm
 and some get drunk on glory
[]
 
 
.Dm
 When the church bells rang on Sunday morn
.                  G
 it set his soul a shiver
.   Dm
 He saw the senoritas washing their hair
.       C        G      Dm
 on the far side of the river
.     Dm
 John Riley and two hundred more
.           G
 Irish mercenaries
.Dm
 Cast their lot, right or not,
.F            C   Dm
 south of the Rio Grande.
 
 
[chorus]
.  F                 Dm
 Adventure calls and some men run
.    F                 G
 and this is their sad story
.Dm
 Some get drunk on demon rum
.    C        G        Dm
 and some get drunk on glory
[]
 
 
.         Dm
 Now they fought bravely under the flag
.                  G
 of the San Patricios,
.         Dm
 Till the Yankees soldiers beat them down
.       C         G     Dm
 at the battle of Churubusco.
.     Dm
 Then fifteen men were whipped like mules
.                         G
 And on their cheeks were branded.
.        Dm
 Made to dig the graves of fifty more,
.      C       G        Dm
 who a hanging fate had handed.
 
 
[chorus]
.  F                 Dm
 Adventure calls and some men run
.    F                 G
 and this is their sad story
.Dm
 Some get drunk on demon rum
.    C        G        Dm
 and some get drunk on glory
[]
 
 
.     Dm
 Now, John Riley stands and drinks alone
.                 G
 at a bar in Vera Cruz.
.   Dm
 He wonders if it matters much
.       C      G      Dm
 if you win or if you lose.
. Dm
 "I'm a man who can't go home,
.                  G
 a vagabond", says he.
.   Dm
 "A victim of some wanderlust
.    C       G     Dm
 and divided loyalty."
 
 
[chorus]
.  F                 Dm
 Adventure calls and some men run
.    F                 G
 and this is their sad story
.Dm
 Some get drunk on demon rum
.    C        G        Dm
 and some get drunk on glory
.  F                 Dm
 Adventure calls and some men run
.    F                 G
 and this is their sad story
.Dm
 Some get drunk on demon rum
.    C        G        Dm
 and some get drunk on glory
[]