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
[]